Don't Judge a Book
by LadyAlambiel
Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter One**

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15 Quickening 1005

Peridan took care to keep his steps light as he moved around the room gathering his sword and selecting one of his heavier leather jerkins. He crept out of the bedroom and carefully closed the door so his movement through the parlor wouldn't disturb Marsalla. His wife still hadn't completely recovered from the journey to Narnia from their former home in Archenland. Peridan closed his eyes and prayed that the change in climate would prove helpful in strengthening Marsalla's weaker constitution. She had been ill ever since she had been expecting Maisee and she hadn't begun to truly improve until a scarce two months ago. The best healers in Anvard had theorized that a somewhat milder climate would help her recovery...but then they had also told Peridan and Marsalla that Marsalla wouldn't be able to have any more children before they had Maisee. He hoped their theory about the climate proved more correct.

Peridan set his sword on the settee for a moment as he tugged his boots on and slipped his jerkin over his head. Having been in Narnia for a week, he was restless for something to do that required more action than playing chess. Belting his sword on, Peridan left his and Marsalla's quarters only to immediately sneak into the nursery to check on Maisee. Fortunately, the nine-month-old was sleeping soundly after being surprisingly fussy the night before and Peridan held his sword still, preventing any unnecessary noise, as he slipped back out of the nursery. Walking down the hall, he paused at another door and, cracking it open, he whispered, "Tarrin, are you awake?"

His eldest immediately joined him in the hall, fully dressed in his own leather jerkin and with his new sword belted around his waist. "Yes, Father, and ready to train."

Peridan chuckled, "So I see. Well then let us go find the training grounds." Tarrin's excitement was nearly palpable but the fourteen-year-old just nodded. Peridan barely resisted the urge to ruffle his son's light brown hair; instead, he led the way down the hall, stopping only to acquire directions to the training grounds from a Leopard.

Reaching the training grounds, Peridan wondered if he looked as wide-eyed as his son did as they took in the sight of different creatures sparring with each other either on their own or under supervision. Living in Narnia, and more specifically living in Cair Paravel, was a true change from the all-human court of Anvard. Placing a hand on Tarrin's shoulder, Peridan steered him to an unoccupied area of one of the smaller training yards. He would seek out the General later, but first he needed to give Tarrin his lesson in swordsmanship.

Father and son sparred for just over two hours, going over the basic moves before Peridan added a new defensive tactic. He nodded in approval when they stopped and Tarrin looked at him, breathing hard from the exertion as he waited for Peridan's final say on the lesson. "Good, though you are still tilting your blade too far on that last strike. It's throwing you off balance and leaving your right side completely open to attack. We'll work on that some more tomorrow. Now go clean up for breakfast with your mother and siblings."

Tarrin swiped the sweat from his brow and gave a quick nod, "Yes, Father."

Peridan watched as his son darted off before he glanced around, trying to decide who he might inquire as to the General's whereabouts. A Fox was perched on a low bench and he inclined his head as soon as Peridan looked at him. Peridan inclined his head in return and walked over to the Fox, "Good morning, sir."

The Fox smiled, "Good morn, Lord Peridan formerly of Archenland and now of Narnia. I am Sir Rupert Grefftus Fox. I couldn't help but notice you seem to be looking for someone. Perhaps our illustrious General?"

Peridan nodded, trying to hide his surprise at the way the Fox, or rather the way Sir Rupert addressed him, though he doubted he was very successful based on Sir Rupert's amused look. "Yes, I've need to speak with General Oreius about several matters. Might you tell me the best place to seek him out?"

Sir Rupert tilted his head, "Hmm, well I do believe he has finished training Sir Wolfsbane and Sir How for the morn. In all likelihood, the best place to seek the General out would be to go to the armory or to his study if he is not in the armory. Shall I show you the way?"

Peridan nodded again, "That would be most helpful, Sir Rupert. I also wonder if you might-" Peridan cut himself off as Tarrin suddenly ran up to them. "Tarrin, what's wrong? Is it your mother?"

Sir Rupert looked on with undisguised interest as Tarrin panted, "No Father. It's... It's Thane and Shane, we can't find them anywhere. Mother said to tell you right...right away, and Raisa said she heard them talking about finding a new hideout."

In spite of his best efforts, Peridan groaned. Sir Rupert looked even more interested as he queried, "What is wrong, Lord Peridan?"

Peridan sighed, "It seems my twin sons have pulled another one of their disappearing acts." He didn't protest when Sir Rupert offered his help in searching out the twins, in fact, he was struggling to keep from showing just how welcome the Fox's help was...he prayed to Aslan that they found the twins before they got hurt or left the Cair in shambles.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! And, I'm back with the all important interlude between _Revealed_ and the upcoming _Concealed_. For those of you who have been patiently waiting for _Concealed_, I assure you I am hard at work on it and shall begin posting as soon as I finish with this story. Leave a review and let me know what y'all think about this initial introduction of Peridan and his family. Also, if you have any requests for what you would like to see in this story, include them in your review or send them via PM. **

**A/N2: To Storm Fire, I apologize for not answering your question sooner, but I pulled up your review so I would remember this time. I pull my original names from many different sources for the most part. For example, Chrysaor came from Edmund Spenser's _Faerie Queen_ where it is the name of the fantastic golden sword of Sir Artegal, the Knight of Justice, Ptah gets his name from Egyptian mythology (as do most of the Leopards), Tuulea is a variation of the Finnish name Tuuli which means Wind. However, I did make up Sherket's name as well as any of the nature names for Centaurs (Stonebrook, Briarwind, etc) and the name of one Marsh-wiggle. I pull from different mythologies, Arthurian legends, and name books to find the names of my original characters. Thank you for the review and I'm glad you're enjoying my stories. If you have any other questions, I shall endeavor to answer to the best of my ability (and a bit faster than this last time). :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Two**

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Peridan breathed a sigh of relief when Sir Rupert confirmed that Thane and Shane had not managed to find their way into the armory. After sending Tarrin to fetch two shirts belonging to the twins, the three of them had begun scouring the courtyard and several of the gardens in search of the vanished twins. _Please Aslan, don't let my sons break anything or anyone...or each other. Marsalla will kill me if they do._ Peridan also desperately hoped his sons wouldn't cause difficulty for anyone extremely important in the Cair.

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Oreius was weeding his way through several reports of low urgency. Thank Aslan, once they managed to survive everything that had accompanied last summer's peace summit there had been next to nothing extreme or deadly that occurred to plague Narnia or more specifically the Four and Katerina Alambiel as well since if she was not the target, she still managed to be caught up in plots against the Four. Of course, there was always the upcoming summer for trouble. He shook his head at the thought. _Better to avoid worrying about it and thus avoid inviting trouble or, as Katerina Alambiel enjoys telling me, don't speculate about Murphy unless you want him to visit his law upon you...which almost makes sense._

Oreius was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a faint noise on the other side of his study door. He frowned as he moved from behind his desk and opened the door only to see...nothing. That was...odd, he had been certain he had heard something or someone out here, but now he heard nothing. If he hadn't been certain that both Kings were thoroughly exhausted from the race up the Cair's tallest tower he had added to the end of their training that morn, he would have suspected that King Edmund was attempting to pull off a prank.

Just as he turned back to his study, Oreius heard a pair, no, two pairs of running feet right before a small body bounced off his left foreleg. He raised an eyebrow as he took in the surprising sight of two young foals sprawled on top of each other on the floor in front of him. Both eyebrows shot up when he realized the foals were identical even in their clothing. One of the foals rubbed his head, "Ow! What'd you do that for? S'pose to stop 'fore you landed on me."

The other colt scowled, "Didn't! Ran into a..." The colt paused as he looked around until he spotted Oreius, "Ran into a horsey?"

Oreius closed his eyes at that name...not again. At least this time Katerina Alambiel was not present to witness yet another Human foal call him...'Horsey.' He opened his eyes and looked down at the twin colts. Clearing his throat, he waited until the foals finally looked up and immediately had to suppress a chuckle when their eyes grew wide and their mouths dropped open when they saw the Centaur towering over them. "So, young ones, how did you come to be in my quarters?"

Heads tilted as far back as they could go as they stared up at him, they didn't answer. Oreius sighed softly and tried again, this time taking care to gentle his tone, "What names did your mother bless you with, young ones?"

That loosened their tongues. They spoke in unison, "I'm Thane, he's Shane!"

The twins looked at each other, then the one to his right scowled, "I'm Thane, you're Shane!"

The other foal shook his head and shouted, "I'm Thane, you're Shane!"

Oreius reluctantly admitted he was at a loss. The foals were actually arguing over what name they had been cur- blessed with... Folding his arms over his bare chest, Oreius decided it would be better to wait the squabble out before he attempted to find out who exactly they belonged to…until the foal on the left launched himself at his brother, fists flying and still shouting, "I'm Thane, you're Shane!"

Oreius sighed. It was oddly similar to how the Kings would at times tussle with each other...only a fair bit more chaotic and not quite as playful. Leaning down, Oreius promptly snagged one twin and hauled him up in the air then caught the other one when the foal tried to lunge at his brother again. He frowned and the stern edge crept back into his voice as he easily cut through the twins' continued shouting at each other, "That's enough. Who are your parents?"

The twins finally ceased arguing and blinked up at him. His frown deepened but a knock and Sir Rupert's voice called for his attention before he could ask again. The foals immediately began arguing again, only this time in whispers. Still keeping his grip on the back of the twins' tunics, Oreius growled, "Come!" By Aslan, he hadn't been in the company of these foals long but he hoped they were attached to some trade delegation and would soon leave the Cair...they were worse than all of the Raccoon kits together.

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Peridan shifted his feet then stilled as he tried to hide his nervousness. Their search was going nowhere and now Sir Rupert insisted that they needed to get the General involved in order to organize a far larger search party for his sons. Where could those two be? This was also not how he wanted to be introduced to the General.

A deep voice growled, "Come!" And, Sir Rupert's ears flicked forward in interest before the Fox looked at him with a grin. The Fox opened the doors and Peridan's heart nearly stopped first from shock then from a steadily growing sense of embarrassment. A large Centaur stood in the middle of the room holding Thane and Shane by the back of their tunics as the twins argued in fierce whispers, completely ignoring the fact that they were dangling about a foot off the ground. _Oh no._

Sir Rupert's amusement was nearly rolling off his red coat, "I see you've already found the matter we were coming to see you about, General."

Peridan suddenly wished the floor would swallow him then and there...he hadn't felt that way since a particularly embarrassing moment in his and Marsalla's courtship. He had to amend his earlier thought..._this_ was not how he wanted to be introduced to the General. Asking for help to find his wayward sons would have been far more preferable to finding his wayward sons in the General's company. Tarrin peeked around him and gasped at the sight. The Centaur gave him an impassive look then raised the twins slightly, "Am I to understand these are your sons?"

Marsalla wouldn't like it if he denied them...though Aslan forgive him, he was more sorely tempted to do so than he had been in months. "Yes, sir, they are mine. I'm afraid they slipped away earlier this morning. I apologize for them." Peridan hesitated then asked, "They didn't break anything, did they, sir?"

The Centaur looked down at the twins who were still dangling from his grip and still arguing then he pinned Peridan with an odd look that vanished behind the same impassive expression as earlier before Peridan could identify it. "No, other than attempting to break each other because they could not agree upon their names." _Oh no._

Peridan frowned at his sons, "Thane." The boy dangling from the General's right hand looked up sharply then paled a tiny bit. "Shane." The boy dangling from the General's left hand looked up and paled in precise imitation of his brother. The Centaur set Thane down first then he lowered Shane to the floor and folded his arms across his chest as he watched the twins drag their feet as they walked toward Peridan. Peridan took a breath then bowed formally to the General, "I apologize for my sons' intrusion and the trouble they have caused you, sir. Thane, Shane, apologize."

His sons looked up at him then bowed to the General as they chimed, "We apologize for our antics." Peridan fought the urge to drop his head in his hands...just where had they learned that apology? Tarrin snickered behind him and then Sir Rupert dropped his head as he struggled to suppress his own chuckles, but the General...that fearsome warrior merely inclined his head then turned toward another door, clearly done dealing with Peridan and his sons.

Sir Rupert cleared his throat and spoke before Peridan could signal him not to do so, "General, Lord Peridan was interested in having a meeting with you today to discuss several matters."

The Centaur paused and looked first at the Fox then at Peridan. His tail swished his flanks before he stated, "Lord Peridan, I will be able to meet with you this afternoon at three hours past noon."

Peridan bowed, "I will be here, General." The Centaur entered the other room and firmly shut the door, which Peridan interpreted as a clear dismissal. He set a large hand on either twin's shoulder and steered them from the room with Tarrin trotting behind him. Sir Rupert led them back to the main corridor that would take them to their assigned quarters before he left after wishing Peridan luck.

Peridan didn't dare let go of his sons until he had them in their bedroom, "Tarrin go let your mother know that we found your brothers."

Tarrin nodded and hurried out. Peridan turned back to his sons only to pause when Raisa poked her head in the door, "I told you it was a bad idea to leave without telling Mother. What did you do this time? Did they break something, Father? I'm sure they did because they always break something."

Oh he didn't need this. "Raisa."

The ten-year-old blinked up at him with her large brown eyes, "Yes, Father?"

"Why don't you go help your mother with Maisee? I will handle Thane and Shane." Raisa nodded her head so vigorously that her red curls bobbed up and smacked her in the face before she went running off. Peridan breathed in and out slowly then looked down at his sons. Completely identical from their russet brown hair to their brown eyes to their penchant for mischief, Thane and Shane watched him with a slight hint of a pout framing each little mouth. "What were you two thinking?"

Thane fidgeted slightly, "We was looking for a new hiding spot, Father."

Peridan sighed, "Were not was. So, in order to go looking for a new hiding spot, you left our quarters without letting anyone know where you were going or why. You two could have been lost or severely hurt. What would have happened then? How would we find you? And, worse, you frightened your mother. You know she's still sick and frightening her is bad for her health." Peridan had begun pacing as he spoke only to stop when he heard Shane sniffle. He had allowed his own fear to cause him to forget he was talking to two six-year-old boys. He dropped to one knee in front of his sons and gentled his tone as he continued, "Do you understand that you scared your mother...and me too?"

Shane sniffed, "You was scared?"

Peridan nodded, "I was afraid something had happened to you and we've only been here a short time, so I had no idea where to look for you two."

Thane and Shane exchanged looks then threw their arms around Peridan's neck, "We're sorry, Father!"

Peridan wrapped his sons in a warm hug, "I know, but from now on if you want to go exploring or leave our quarters, you have to get permission from either your mother or myself and you can only go if Raisa or Tarrin goes with you."

Thane and Shane immediately howled, "Not Raisa!"

Peridan hid a grin and held up a hand, "If she's the only one available to go with you, yes Raisa." He fixed the twins with a stern gaze, "Now I need to know exactly what you said to the General...the Centaur who was holding you when I found you." He hoped it was nothing too terrible or insulting.

Thane suddenly laughed, "Shane called him a 'horsey' like he was four or something!"

Peridan groaned in spite of himself...he didn't need to be a native Narnian to know that referring to a Centaur as a horse was highly insulting and calling one 'horsey'...it was their age that saved his sons from a painful lesson in Narnian etiquette, of that he was certain. Wonderful, just wonderful, his sons had not only managed to insult a Centaur the first time they got out of the family's quarters, but they had managed to insult the Centaur who was the General of the Narnian Army. Peridan hung his head, "Thane, Shane, both of you may go eat your breakfast now."

As he expected, the twins hurried off at the mention of food. Peridan remained kneeling for a moment, and then he went to find Marsalla. She was sitting in their parlor, cleaning Maisee's face of the remainder of her meal. She looked up at him and smiled faintly, but her smile vanished as soon as she got a good look at his face. She put Maisee back in the small crib at her feet then asked, "Peridan, what is it? Is it the twins? Tarrin said they weren't hurt. Was he mistaken?"

Peridan immediately knelt by her chair and grabbed her hand, "No, my dear, the boys are fine. Please do not worry. I'm sorry for frightening you. I was just lost in thought."

Marsalla gave him a hard look before whispering, "What did they do?"

He sighed, "They found the General. And, they were apparently arguing about whose name was whose...and this after I found out they insulted the General by calling him 'horsey'."

Marsalla clamped her hand over her mouth, "Oh Peridan, what- What about your request to join their majesties' service?"

Peridan sighed and stroked the back of Marsalla's hand, "I had no opportunity to ask. But, the General agreed to meet with me today at three hours past noon. I just don't know how much bearing this morning's events will have on his final decision and I suspect that he won't allow just anyone near the Four in the capacity I hope to serve them."

Marsalla ran her fingers through his hair, "But surely he'll see how capable you are, after all you spent twenty years serving King Lune and his father before him. I still say you should have let Lune knight you last year as he wanted."

It was an old argument of theirs, even though Marsalla was well aware of why he had never accepted any of Lune's offers to knight him. In any case, he chose not to revisit it. Instead, Peridan smiled then captured Marsalla's hand again and kissed it, "With your faith in me, o queen of my heart, no one would be allowed to doubt my abilities...least of all, myself. But, I suppose we'll find out just how true the rumors are about Narnia's knights soon enough."

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Let me know what y'all think about this one and also let me know if you have any guesses/suggestions as to what sorts of rumors are swirling about Archenland in regards to Narnia's knights (yes this includes both Oreius and Kat) either via your review or in a PM. **


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Three**

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Peridan made sure that Shane and Thane were under the watchful gaze of four of the more experienced family maids before he left for his meeting with the General. He was taking no chances that the twins would be able to slip off and cause any more trouble. The General immediately opened the door at his knock and motioned for him to enter the study. Once safely ensconced in the General's study, which had many papers and files on the desk and several smaller tables but didn't feel cluttered even with the presence of other furniture, the Centaur finally spoke, "There is a chair in the corner if you wish to sit during our conversation."

Peridan absently noted the chair was tucked into the one corner that allowed anyone who sat in it to have a clear view of both the door and the General's desk...and it was the only piece of furniture in the room that was not built to accommodate Centaurs. "With respect, General, I believe I will be fine standing."

The General merely nodded, giving no sign that Peridan had insulted or irritated him by refusing, but the invitation had felt like a test to Peridan. He still managed to meet the General's stern gaze calmly as the Centaur spoke, "Very well. Tell me why you requested this meeting, Lord Peridan."

Blunt and to the point, the Centaur was clearly not worried about offending Peridan and he seemed to expect Peridan to also be straightforward. Peridan willingly obliged him, "General Oreius, I have requested this meeting because I wish to establish my place among the Four's court."

The General flicked his tail before he cut in, "Why do you meet with me if this is the case, Lord Peridan? Should you not focus your efforts elsewhere?"

Peridan blinked but gave no other indication of his surprise. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for, the chance to persuade the only person besides the Four who had the power to turn his request to serve the Four in a military capacity down. "Because I wish to establish my place among the military, not just among the court itself. I served King Lune and his father before him from the time I was seventeen. I wish to continue the path of the warrior in my service to the Four. I, Peridan Nerianson, have already pledged my oath of fealty to the Four and to Aslan. If there is need, I will raise my sword in defense of Narnia and of the Four. My family once served alongside the Royal family of Narnia both as nobles of the court and as brothers-in-arms. When we were forced to flee Narnia by the wrath of the White Witch, we served the Royals of Archenland, but this is now the time for my family to return to Narnia and the Four have welcomed us. Again, I say if there is need, I will raise my sword in defense of Narnia and of the Four, whether I do so only as a noble of their court or also as a brother-in-arms. My wish, however, is to serve as both."

The Centaur watched him with a completely impassive expression, giving Peridan no hint of his thoughts as he waited for the General to make his decision. He was eager to do more, but he knew everything hinged on what the General of the Narnian Army decided. Rumors floating among the court in Archenland reported that the Centaur who served as the Four's General was a formidable being, intensely loyal to and protective of the four sovereigns of Narnia, a true warrior among warriors but also extremely serious in his general demeanor. One of the lords who had visited Narnia and seen the General in person had told Peridan that he pitied the fool who ever tried to attack the Four. Because the General could intimidate people just by entering a room with same serious and impassive look as always, so they could only speculate as to how much worse would the General's anger be to experience. So far, Peridan had to admit that General Oreius was living up to the rumors.

The General spoke without taking his eyes off Peridan, "I took the liberty of inquiring after you with several trusted sources. I am well aware of all of your accomplishments in service to Archenland and the fact that you are yet unknighted only because of your continued refusal to accept King Lune's offers. You have been here for a week, why did you not request this meeting before now?"

Another test, Peridan was certain...because it was what he would do if his and the General's positions were reversed. "It was necessary for me to see to my family's needs before approaching you, General. The journey was long and it took slightly longer for us all to recover." When the General didn't respond right away, Peridan hesitated before cautiously asking, "Do you require an oath of fealty?"

The General shook his head, "No, your fealty is pledged to the Four and to Aslan alone." Peridan was relieved to hear the Centaur's answer. He also felt like he had passed yet another test as the Centaur continued speaking. "Only once, Lord Peridan, have I ever accepted someone who was not originally a soldier of Narnia to enter the military aspect of service to the Four. It did not turn out badly, which is why I am willing to consider your request as I take your measure." The General's eyes flicked to the empty chair for a brief moment before he pinned Peridan with an assessing look and sternly stated, "Both the court and the military of Narnia are far more diverse than those found in Archenland. No one, be they Human, Animal, Magical Creature, or Plant, male or female, will be treated with scorn or malice without an accounting being required. Some Men, though they are successful in the Human courts, simply cannot make the transition to the diverse uniqueness that is Narnia and _that_ is when they visit Cair Paravel as ambassadors. Though you have sworn your fealty to the Four before Aslan and His Father, I reserve my judgment until I have seen and heard how you and your family adjust to Narnia and her people."

Peridan formally bowed, "I hear and understand your reasons, General. I will abide by whatever restrictions you set down until your decision is made and then I will abide by that decision."

The General inclined his head then proceeded to outline a very reasonable and short list of restrictions for Peridan to follow. Peridan bowed again, ready to leave when the General spoke once more, "Lord Peridan, I am curious. Exactly how many children do you have?"

"My wife and I have been blessed with five children."

General Oreius nodded and turned back to his papers as Peridan slipped out of the room and quickly entered the hall outside of the General's quarters. He breathed a sigh of relief at not having his request immediately rejected, praise Aslan, now he merely needed to await the General's decision. Upon reaching their assigned quarters, Peridan was pleasantly surprised to see Marsalla on her feet organizing their children into a straight line as she inspected them for cleanliness. He gave her a questioning look and she smiled faintly, "The Four have extended an invitation for us all to join them for a private dinner tonight. Hurry and clean up, dear, we've less than thirty minutes before a guide will arrive." He walked over to her and kissed her gently before he changed his clothes and freshened up. This would be the first time since they had initially presented themselves to the Four that they would be interacting with the royals. He was equal parts eager, hopeful, cautious, and nervous about the evening ahead. Looking over the twins, who stopped whispering when they felt his gaze, Peridan prayed they would behave themselves at dinner.

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Oreius slipped the letter back into the envelope as he looked over his study. His gaze settled on the chair that Katerina Alambiel had simply carried into the room and placed in that specific corner a few years earlier. She had cheekily told him that the corner looked lonely. Although he had been exasperated with her at first, Oreius grew accustomed to the chair and to the fact that Katerina Alambiel preferred using it when she was rifling through his papers, well, when she wasn't perched on the edge of his desk. His gaze shifted from the chair to the study door, which Peridan had left through an hour beforehand. He was curious as to what Katerina Alambiel would have to say about Lord Peridan once the two met...because he knew she would say something. It was the exact wording and context that he was unsure of...for now.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Should the next chapter be told from the POV of one of the children, Tarrin or Raisa, or should I keep it in Peridan's POV? Let me know via PM or in your review. Leave a review and let me know what y'all think about this one.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Four**

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Tarrin tugged anxiously on the edge of his most formal tunic as he and his family trailed after the huge Tiger leading the way to where they were going to join the Four for dinner. His parents had both stressed the importance of everyone being on their best behavior, even Thane and Shane seemed to grasp the concept as they solemnly nodded in response to their mother's admonishments. Of course, there was no way to know whether the twins would stay on their best behavior for as long as was needed tonight. Tarrin yanked one last time on his tunic as he glanced around, taking in the tasteful elegance of the statues, carvings, tapestries, and stained glass windows they passed as they continued walking. He couldn't wait until the twins asked him to go with them to explore the Cair. And, he knew they would...anything to avoid having to drag Raisa along.

Looking up as his parents came to a halt, Tarrin watched in silent wonder as the huge Tiger opened the doors then bowed his head, "You will find their majesties within."

His father nodded his head, "Thank you..."

The Tiger grinned, which made Tarrin take half a step back at the unexpected sight of those huge teeth while Raisa shrank behind him...the twins simply nudged each other in excitement. "My name is Kumbali."

His father gave a slight bow, "Thank you for escorting us, Kumbali."

Kumbali bowed his head, "It was no trouble. Good evening." Tarrin couldn't help noticing that the Tiger watched them file by him with a fascinated gleam in his eyes, especially the twins…but then all the Narnians he had seen in the last week had been particularly fascinated with his family.

Tarrin's attention was ripped from pondering the strange fascination the Narnians seemed to have with his family when his father bowed and his mother curtsied. He quickly copied his father's movements, out of the corner of his eye, he noted Raisa also sweeping a curtsy in precise imitation of their mother. The twins bowed and Tarrin saw Thane reach out to pinch Shane, only to stop when their mother's gaze landed on them. A bright laugh filled the air, "Oh please stand, there's no need for formality tonight."

Tarrin straightened along with the rest of his family and he was surprised to see Queen Lucy the Valiant standing only a few feet away with her siblings. According to his father, the youngest of the Four was actually a little younger than Tarrin himself while King Edmund was a year older. The youngest Queen smiled brightly, "Welcome Peridan and Marsalla and your children as well. Please come and join us, we've been missing the company."

Tarrin briefly wondered what she meant, but then High King Peter spoke, "Indeed, you are all most welcome but please come and sit. I assure you Kori and the rest of the cooks outdo themselves for every meal, Aslan bless them." The Four led the way to the large table and as soon as everyone took their seats, the High King raised his glass as did his siblings. They waited until Tarrin and his family copied their actions, the twins wrapping both hands around their glasses, and then the High King raised his eyes to the ceiling, "Aslan, for this bountiful meal and friendly company, we give thanks."

That was a lot shorter than the prayers King Lune would offer the few times Tarrin had been present to one of the smaller affairs in the Archenland court...which didn't bother him in the least as his mouth began watering at the most delicious smells wafting in from the platters being carried in by several servants. For a little while, no one said a word as they all enjoyed the meal. Then, his mother looked at Queen Susan, "Your majesty, I apologize that we were unable to attend the celebration thrown in honor of your birthday three days past."

Queen Susan smiled gently, "Do not trouble yourself, Lady Marsalla, we are all familiar with how taxing it can be to travel between Archenland and Cair Paravel, especially in the month of Quickening, and that is without traveling with very young children." The queen's gaze moved over Tarrin and his siblings before returning to Marsalla, "Am I correct in the understanding that you and Lord Peridan have five children?"

His mother nodded, "Yes, your majesty, our youngest, Maisee, is but nine months old."

Queen Lucy suddenly chimed in, "Oh, Maisee is a lovely name."

Queen Susan smiled at her sister before turning back to his mother, "Lady Marsalla, I was wondering if you might join my ladies and I tomorrow morn. I should like the chance to get to know you better."

Tarrin watched as his mother's eyes widened then she smiled back at the young queen, "I'm honored to accept your invitation, Queen Susan."

As his mother continued speaking with Queen Susan and Queen Lucy drew Raisa into the conversation as well, Tarrin realized he was being watched. He looked up and realized that King Edmund was looking at him while High King Peter conversed with his father about the state of Archenland. Looking at him, it was hard for Tarrin to believe that he was but a year older...there was simply something more to the boy...to all four of them really, but then King Edmund smirked and nodded his head toward Thane and Shane. Tarrin looked and immediately winced at how the twins were studiously creating a fort complete with four towers out of bread crusts, celery stalks, some lettuce leaves, and they had planted a wineglass holding a handful of smashed raspberries in the middle of their creation. Not again...Mother in particular would not be happy with any one, except Raisa, if she saw what the twins were doing. He was about to reach for Thane when their parents caught sight of them, "Thane! Shane!"

The twins paused and looked around in surprise when they noticed everyone was looking at them and their fort. His mother was blushing as she turned back to the Kings and Queens, "I am so very sorry, your majesties, for my sons' behavior."

Queen Susan smiled, "Oh please, don't trouble yourself, Lady Marsalla. This is not the first time battlements and such have been built out of leftovers at this table." Tarrin's eyebrows shot up in surprise and wondered how many other dignitaries had been embarrassed by their children. Queen Susan slanted a look at her brothers as she continued speaking. "Indeed, it is not so unusual to find our brothers and a goodly number of our officers animatedly recreating Beruna with whatever leftovers they happen to have at hand, though that battle was won nearly six years past and they do not have the excuse of being only six years of age."

Tarrin's jaw dropped open. He didn't remember to close it again until the Kings chuckled before High King Peter gave his sister a wounded look and placed his hand over his heart, "Aww, Su, are you implying we don't act our age?"

Queen Susan gave the Kings a stern look, although Tarrin could have sworn there was a glimmer of laughter in her eyes, as she responded, "You know you do not, my dear brothers."

King Edmund suddenly cleared his throat, "Oh, but Susan, you must understand that the dissecting and analysis of all possible alternatives to battle plans, especially those that were victorious, is crucial to developing better plans for future battles and improving our tactical comprehension of how minute decisions affect the outcome of a battle. 'Sides we do wait until after dessert is served before we really get into it."

Queen Lucy giggled and even Queen Susan couldn't hide her smile at King Edmund's cheeky tone, while the High King clapped his brother on the shoulder, "Well said, Ed. There you see, Su, no harm done." He looked at Tarrin's parents, "Lord Peridan, Lady Marsalla, I realize the discipline of your children is yours to determine, but perhaps it might wait until we have finished. As our sister has pointed out, we are no strangers to, shall we say, less than perfect manners."

Tarrin watched his mother give his father a long look before she nodded. However, even though his parents and sister each returned to the previous conversation and Thane and Shane continued to work on their fort, now lining the bread crust walls with little blocks of cheese while a handful of raspberries were dropped in front of a celery stick with some lettuce draped over it just outside the fort, Tarrin had no doubt the twins would not be escaping a lecture once they all returned to their quarters. King Edmund turned to his father, "Lord Peridan, I heard you managed to meet with General Oreius."

Tarrin suddenly fought back a laugh as he recalled the way the twins had just been dangling in the air, completely ignoring the fact that the huge Centaur had been holding them by the back of their shirts as they argued. He sobered though as his father nodded, "Yes, your majesty. It was a very informative meeting." Tarrin paused as he nibbled on a piece of blackberry tart. He would have thought that his father would want to inform the Kings right away that he was going to serve in the military and in the court as well, but his father didn't elaborate.

Dessert was brought in and Tarrin was thrilled to see it was pie. He barely hid a grimace though when the slice on his plate revealed it was rutabaga pie...the twins poked at their pie slices before Shane made a face after he took a huge bite out of it. Not wanting to appear impolite, Tarrin took several bites before he forgot himself and blurted out a question that had been plaguing him since the dinner began, "Why did Queen Lucy say you were missing the company?"

His face heated up immediately when everyone looked at him. His parents continued to stare at him while Raisa gave him a disapproving look, but the Four looked from him to each other before Queen Lucy cleared her throat. To his relief, his parents instantly turned to look at the Four although Raisa didn't immediately look away as she was obviously torn between paying attention to the Four or the surprising gaff made by her older brother. But, then Queen Lucy cleared her throat once more before she cheerfully explained, "What I meant was we sometimes get lonely for the company of our close friends, the one I was thinking of has a tendency to lighten the conversation whenever it becomes too heavy. Kat, I mean Lady Katerina is tending to some urgent business otherwise I'm certain she would have loved to meet all of you tonight."

King Edmund nodded solemnly, "Oh yes, she would have been delighted...if we had managed to drag her through the doors."

Tarrin couldn't keep from asking, "Why? What is she like?"

The Four were silent for a moment, then Queen Susan smiled, "Well, it is rather difficult to describe Lady Katerina."

Queen Lucy nodded, "This is true." She turned to look past King Edmund to their elder brother, "Peter, what word would you use to describe Kat?"

The High King didn't even pause before he simply answered, "Sassy."

Queen Lucy giggled before looking at her other brother, "Edmund?"

Tarrin watched, feeling puzzled yet fascinated with the entire situation, as King Edmund tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling then looked back down at his sister and shrugged, "I was thinking more along the lines of crazy but sassy works too."

The High King snorted into his wineglass and Queen Lucy giggled as King Edmund leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smirk. Queen Susan shook her head at her siblings before addressing Tarrin and his family, "All joking aside, what they are trying to say is that Lady Katerina has a very _unique_ outlook on life, which shall be easier to understand once you have met her in person."

Tarrin glanced away from the Four in time to see his mother directing a slightly alarmed look at his father. None of the Four seemed to notice but his father did. "Given the time, perhaps it is best if my family and I retire now, with your permission, your majesties. We thank you for the invitation and the pleasant company, but we are still recuperating from the rigors of our trip."

The High King nodded, "Of course, pray forgive us for not taking that into account tonight."

Tarrin stood along with his father and prodded Thane and Shane into standing as well before they all bowed and left the table. Glancing down as he walked by Shane's chair, Tarrin had to smother a snicker when he noticed Shane's slice of rutabaga pie with one large bite missing from the end was balanced on top of the wineglass in the middle of their fort, effectively trapping the raspberries in the glass.

This time a large Raccoon led them back to their quarters, but once they reached their quarters, Tarrin was surprised when their parents merely told them all to go to bed. He ushered the twins to their room and helped the maids corral the sleepy boys into washing up and changing into their nightclothes before he went to his own room. It was odd how his parents were acting and he wasn't quite sure about what exactly had happened to cause his mother to look alarmed. Maybe she wasn't feeling well again. Tarrin paused after tugging his nightshirt over his head, and then he decided to go peek in on Maisee. Creeping into the nursery, Tarrin peered into the cradle and grinned at the sight of Maisee sleeping peacefully. He froze though as soon as he heard his mother's voice, "Peridan, what are we going to do?"

"Don't fret, Marsalla, everything shall be all right. We are finding our places and remember Queen Susan has invited you to join her and her ladies in the morning. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't ask you to be among her ladies before sunset tomorrow."

His parents must have been standing fairly close to the door separating their rooms from the nursery for Tarrin to hear them so clearly. He didn't dare move until they moved further away again, especially since Maisee might wake if he made too much noise. He heard a slight hopeful tone enter his mother's voice, "Perhaps, but looking too far ahead is what causes us to fall. Peridan, did the General agree to your request?"

"In a manner of speaking. He is going to let me participate in certain areas and duties but the rest will have to wait until after he takes my measure."

"Oh Peridan."

Tarrin held his breath as he heard his father's heavy footsteps come closer to the door, "Don't get upset, o queen of my heart. It will all work out."

He frowned as he heard fear enter his mother's voice, "But, Peridan, what if the tales about her are true?"

"Please, Marsalla, don't worry. Half of those rumors are probably nothing more than the far-fetched ramblings of your uncle and his friends having a few too many drinks in the local pub."

"Sisemaal doesn't have "pubs", Peridan. And, Uncle Teppo is one of King Jukka's advisors. Besides, the rumors are not coming solely from his visits or my mother's letters, they are also in the court at Anvard."

He heard his father sigh, "All right, Marsalla, all right, we will be cautious. But, there is such a mixture of rumors, it will take time to determine which ones are truth and which are just wild tales." Tarrin frowned as he heard his parents' footsteps retreat and he crept out of the nursery and back to his room. There were rumors scaring his mother, but rumors about whom? The queens? That didn't make any sense to him. He was still puzzling over what he had heard when he fell asleep.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! So, this chapter is completely in Tarrin's POV...hopefully you liked it. Next chapter shall probably go back to Peridan and Oreius narrating...although Marsalla might narrate a small piece as well. In any case, leave a review and let me know what y'all though about this one.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Five**

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16 Quickening 1005

Marsalla braced herself against the back of the settee as another wave of dizziness threatened to send her back to bed. "Marsalla, are you all right?"

She looked up to meet Peridan's concerned gaze and smiled, "Of course, I am, dear. I just stood up too quickly. Should I bring Maisee with me to meet Queen Susan and her ladies?" She ignored the twinge of worry she felt. Surely, it would be all right. There was no reason to believe otherwise.

"I think that is a good idea, my Tesoro." She smiled at the endearment as Peridan wrapped his arms around her and Marsalla took a moment to enjoy the feeling of safety that always accompanied the action. Her brave Peridan had always been stronger than she. He felt most of the rumors were exaggerated, she hoped he was right...but she feared he was wrong. He kissed her temple, "Don't worry, Marsalla, it's bad for your health. I'm to meet with a Lieutenant Sefu this morning, but if you need me, I'll come."

She leaned against him for a moment, and then shook her head, "I will be fine. I'm sure Maisee will charm all the ladies. You should go before you are late meeting with this Lieutenant Sefu."

Peridan kissed her again before he stepped back and winked one brown eye at her. She smiled just as a light knock sounded before Raisa poked her head in, "Mother?"

Marsalla smiled at her daughter, "Yes, Raisa. What is it?"

"Tarrin is watching the twins; may I go see the library? Becky said that she heard one of the Fauns say that anyone can use the library of Cair Paravel, they don't even have to petition the Royal family. May I go please?"

Marsalla glanced at Peridan who nodded before she turned back to Raisa, "Yes, you may go see the library. But, if anyone asks you to leave, you will come straight back to our quarters, do you understand?"

Raisa bobbed her head, "Oh yes, Mother. Thank you, Mother." She ducked out of sight and Marsalla could hear her light footsteps running away before she could get another word out. Marsalla sighed, but at least she didn't have to worry about Raisa getting into trouble.

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Oreius smirked slightly as he read the latest letter from Katerina Alambiel, she had included two notes for Queen Lucy and King Edmund, which he would deliver before court was in session that afternoon. He was certain Queen Lucy would be overjoyed to hear from Katerina but King Edmund...he had noticed him looking rather uncomfortable by the time he finished the last message she had sent him. Still, it seemed Katerina Alambiel would soon be back in the Cair...unless she managed to run into trouble again.

Storing the letter away to be finished later, Oreius set out to find the youngest Royals. Only to immediately stop when he saw a small child standing in the crossways at the end of the hall. The filly was slight with red hair that hung in curls. He didn't recognize her at all. "Are you lost, young one?"

She whirled around and let out a little gasp as her brown eyes widened at the sight of him. For a moment the little filly didn't say anything, then she hesitantly nodded, "I think I am, sir."

Oreius paused a moment as he took in her obviously Human heritage, "Are you another one of Peridan's children?"

She nodded with a bit more assurance, "Yes, sir. I'm Raisa. Are you the General?"

Oreius gave a curt nod, "Yes, I'm General Oreius. Now, where was it you were trying to go to, Raisa?"

Raisa brightened, "Oh, I was going to see the library. Becky, one of our maids, said that anyone can go there and they don't even need to petition the Royal family. Is this true?"

Although surprised at the question, Oreius still smiled a little at the child's enthusiasm, "Yes, it is true but you are quite a ways from the main library. Come, I will take you there."

Raisa looked surprised at his comment, "Really? I mean thank you, but I'm not supposed to trouble anyone. Mother wouldn't like it if I troubled you like Thane and Shane did yesterday."

Oreius hid a wince at the memory of the twin colts...however, there was still the chance that perhaps it was just a phase that they would grow out of...soon. Looking down at the filly, who he guessed was several years younger than Queen Lucy but still older than the Valiant Queen had been when the Four first came to Narnia, he smiled again. "It is no trouble."

He had to slow his pace to nearly a crawl to accommodate Raisa, but he didn't mind. The filly seemed much calmer and far less trouble than her two brothers. After a few moments, Raisa suddenly broke the silence, "How many libraries are in Cair Paravel?"

Oreius paused before answering, "Well, there is the main library, where I am taking you, and then there are several smaller libraries scattered throughout the entire Cair, though most of them could be referred to as large studies or parlors with bookshelves."

Raisa seemed to grow more excited and then the previously quiet filly began to talk at him. "Oh, that's so exciting! I hope I can see them all. Have you been to them all? My brother, Tarrin, said the library at Anvard was marvelous even though he doesn't like books as much as I do. He would rather go play at sword fighting or learning chess from Father than read the books our tutors assign us. Of course, I wasn't allowed to go into the library except on special occasions because Prince Corin managed to escape his minders when he was four and he knocked over two bookshelves. I didn't think that was possible, but then Father told Mother and I that he saw the aftermath and then we found out that Thane and Shane helped him do it. They're the same age as Prince Corin, did you know that? Well, they are and after that none of the children of the lords who had permission to use the Royal library were allowed to go in there unless it was a special day like our birthday. I thought it was horrible. But, I think Father was right when he said that he wasn't surprised that of all the children in Anvard that day it was Thane and Shane who helped Prince Corin cause chaos in the library. Thane and Shane are quite terrible at escaping their minders and getting into all sorts of trouble. But, I guess you would know that since they managed to run into you yesterday. Tarrin claimed they didn't break anything this time, which I thought was a miracle because they usually do break something when they go running off by themselves. Once they nearly ended up on a ship to Tashbaan. A ship captain who's friends with Father is the one brought them back that time after one of his crewmen found them playing in the crow's nest. And, then every time one of Mother's sisters visit, they always try to stow away in their luggage because they want to go off on adventures already even though Mother says they're not allowed to have adventures until they're fifteen. Of course, Tarrin can be almost as bad as Thane and Shane even though he's the eldest and he's supposed to be the responsible one. There was one time when he tried to be part of the group of men who went to find one of the crofters' little girls after she got lost in this horrible blizzard, but Father saw him and made one of the searchers take him back home. Father found the little girl himself, and she was sick for months afterwards but she got better once it was summer. Then there was the time..."

The filly continued on and on and on as Oreius led her through the halls. She made Queen Lucy seem taciturn...what's more she made Tuulea seem like a Nymph of few words. And, she never stopped talking long enough for him to interject anything. As it was Oreius felt only slightly guilty at the flare of relief when they finally reached the library. Raisa had paused for breath and he quickly spoke, "We're here."

Raisa looked up in surprise then awe as Oreius opened the doors to the library and allowed her to step inside ahead of him. The filly spun in a circle as she took in the many bookshelves then she hurried over to the nearest one and just looked. He watched in amusement as she jumped when a new voice spoke, "You may read the books, young one, as opposed to just looking at them."

She spun around in surprise and darted a glance at him. He quickly made the introductions, "Raisa, this is Stonebrook. Stonebrook, this is Lord Peridan's daughter, Raisa." He lowered his voice and whispered as Raisa dropped a formal curtsy, "Careful, this one can outtalk Tuulea."

Stonebrook chuckled and waved him off as he approached Raisa, "So, young Raisa, let's see what books you are the most interested in reading today. When you are finished here, I will escort you back to your quarters."

Oreius nodded his silent thanks to Stonebrook then made his escape. It didn't take him long to find King Edmund who was pouring over his books with King Peter at his side as they both worked on their lessons. To his amusement, King Edmund didn't look very enthusiastic to receive Katerina Alambiel's message but hastily assured him that there was nothing he needed to know at the moment. He wondered if Katerina Alambiel was threatening King Edmund with theories about how she might possibly cause a diplomatic incident...again.

Knowing that Queen Lucy was probably with Queen Susan, Oreius gradually made his way toward the larger parlor the Queens favored when they were merely visiting with their ladies. However, he came to an abrupt halt when he saw who was at the end of one of the halls. A moment later, he was aware of Peridan and Lieutenant Sefu coming to stand beside him as their conversation died. Shesheta was prowling around the twin colts, her ears swiveling as she sniffed the air. Then she came to stand in front of the twins and tilted her head quizzically, "Where are your spots? Do they blend in like mine?"

Peridan's sons looked at each other then looked at the young Leopard who was still half the size of her parents and spoke in unison, "We don't have spots."

Shesheta seemed even more puzzled and Oreius had to hold back a laugh as she asked, "Then, how do your parents tell you apart?"

The twins smiled, "They don't."

The colt nearest to the three adults continued, "Well, least not always."

Shesheta sniffed them again then complained, "You smell the same. Why don't you smell different from each other?"

The two colts shrugged while Sefu placed his paw over his eyes at Shesheta's breach of etiquette. Oreius found the conversation highly amusing even though he suspected not one of the three youngsters were actually supposed to be wandering the halls. He hid his amusement however as he looked down at Peridan and Sefu, and then nodded toward their children. Peridan tensed slightly and Oreius wondered if the man had relaxed when he had met with Sefu. Still, Peridan cleared his throat and stepped forward with Sefu following him. Oreius watched as the two fathers quickly corralled their respective offspring and went off in separate directions to take them back to where they were actually supposed to be at that time of day. It seemed Raisa was correct about her brothers' tendencies to escape their minders...he hoped the elder son of Peridan was less trouble. With that in mind, Oreius continued on his search for Queen Lucy. But, finding her proved to have an unexpected result.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Let me know what y'all thought about this one and what you think is going to happen in the next chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Six**

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Marsalla walked into the beautiful yet unostentatious parlor and nearly froze at the sight of who, or rather what, made up the Queens' ladies-in-waiting. There were several normal-looking women, standing or sitting next to the two Queens, but then there were three women who had blue skin and hair, two others with yellow skin and green hair, and another with silvery skin and hair. There was also a Fox, two Rabbits, and a Doe. She hugged Maisee a little closer when she saw the Tigers, Leopards, and Wolves in addition to the two female Centaurs present, one of whom was armed. It seemed every eye in the room was fixated on her, no they were focusing on Maisee. Marsalla immediately began regretting bringing her piccola dolcezza no matter that Peridan had thought it a good idea.

Queen Susan rose and smiled as she beckoned Marsalla to come forward. Marsalla cradled Maisee close as she crossed the room then carefully curtsied to the Queens. "Welcome, Lady Marsalla, we are so glad you could join us this morn. Please come and have a seat."

The woman with silvery skin and hair rose from her seat next to the one Queen Susan had been sitting in and offered it to Marsalla with a smile, which she accepted still clutching Maisee close. Queen Susan smiled at the woman as she retook her seat, "Thank you, Amaryllis." Amaryllis curtsied then smiled at Marsalla once more before she moved back.

Maisee stirred in Marsalla's arms just then and cooed as her eyes opened and she seemed to realize that she was once again at the center of everyone's attention. So far, Maisee hadn't changed in being the outgoing, friendly piccola dolcezza whenever she got the chance to be in a room full of people. And, she proved it by turning her head to smile at the Queens when Queen Lucy exclaimed, "Oh! This must be Maisee, she's just adorable! How old did you say she is?"

Marsalla relaxed for a moment as she watched the young Queen wave at her daughter and then giggle when Maisee smiled wider and let out a giggle in response, "She is nine months old."

She barely hid her startle though when the two Wolves walked over and peered at Maisee. The slightly smaller tawny Wolf stretched her muzzle terrifyingly close to Maisee's arm as the baby reached her hand out to touch her, only to jerk back when a soft barely-heard growl came from the white Wolf. The white Wolf looked at Marsalla, "Forgive us, we did not mean to frighten you, Lady Marsalla. I am Clara Windwolf and this is my daughter, the eldest pup of my third litter, Cleo."

Marsalla forced herself to give a little nod, ignoring the way her heart was pounding in her chest. The larger Beasts probably meant no harm but she found herself studying the less alarming sight of the Fox and two Rabbits...Marsalla blinked when she realized one of the Rabbits was crocheting. That was...that was not something she had expected to see. Maisee leaned her head against her shoulder and Marsalla reached a hand up to stroke her daughter's soft black curls as she watched the Fox daintily pouring tea for everyone...Narnia was such an odd place.

The Fox smiled at her, but Marsalla still found it somewhat disconcerting though not as much as when that Tiger, Kumbali, had smiled. Queen Lucy cheerfully introduced the Fox as Lady Felicia Fox, the crocheting Rabbit was Clover and her young cousin was Poppy, the two Leopards were apparently mother and daughter and called Sherket and Keket, the Doe was Faline, and all the other names blurred together. Marsalla smiled as she realized the youngest Queen was nearly as loquacious as her Raisa, though nowhere near the amount of chatter that her daughter could achieve when she really started talking at someone. Queen Lucy was finally distracted from making the introductions by something Poppy and Faline asked her opinion on, and then Maisee let out a squeal of delight as she lurched forward in Marsalla's arms toward the Leopard who had been walking by them. Marsalla silently bemoaned the effects of her continued illness, as she was unable to keep her baby from latching onto the Leopard's ear. The younger Leopard peered around her mother and giggled, "She got you, Mama."

"So she did, Keket." The Leopard, Sherket, seemed to smile as she stepped closer to Marsalla's chair allowing her to pull Maisee back into her lap even though the baby kept pulling on Sherket's ear as she babbled and patted all over Sherket's face with her other hand. The Leopard's only response was to close her eyes whenever Maisee's little hand came too close to them.

Marsalla could feel herself blushing as she heard the giggles making their way around the room as she failed to coax Maisee into letting go of Sherket's ear. Instead, the nine-month-old leaned forward again, babbling and giggling all the while, and patted all the way down Sherket's face until she could smack Sherket's nose. The Leopard wrinkled her muzzle in response, but then Maisee leaned even closer to Sherket and planted a slobbery kiss on Sherket's nose.

Every female in the room let out a collective 'aww' at the sight. Even Marsalla had to admit that her piccola dolcezza had been even more adorable than usual. Sherket chuckled as she gently moved her head back from Maisee's grasp, "She is sweet and you have other children?"

Marsalla nodded, still feeling as though she were in a surreal dream conversing with a Leopard about her children, "Four others, three sons, and one daughter."

Sherket smiled, "Aslan has blessed you and your mate with a large litter."

Marsalla didn't know what to say as the other Animals nodded their heads in agreement with Sherket's statement. Fortunately, Queen Lucy rescued her from having to say anything as she held her arms out to the increasingly squirmy Maisee, "Might I hold her for a moment, Lady Marsalla?"

She might have hesitated but for the fact that one simply didn't refuse a Queen, especially when one's place was still so uncertain. Maisee gurgled in delight as Marsalla passed her to Queen Lucy who immediately tickled her, earning a squeal of laughter even as Maisee tried to grab her crown. Marsalla watched for a moment as Queen Lucy played with Maisee, and then Queen Susan offered her a cup of tea. Accepting the cup, Marsalla hoped no one noticed the slight tremble to her hands. Queen Susan smiled gently at her, "How are you and your family settling into life here in Narnia?"

Marsalla forced a smile, "It is an adjustment to be certain, your majesty, but...I think we shall all survive intact." At least, that was what she had been begging Aslan for since Peridan first decided it was time for them to move to Narnia.

Queen Susan gave her a knowing smile, "Well, if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask any one of us." Marsalla inclined her head, and then the Queen gave her a quizzical look, "Lady Marsalla, I am curious to know more about you. Your name...it is Sisemaalian, is it not?"

She felt a flare of fear as she recalled Sisemaal being shamed by the actions of one of its nobles, a Count Hendrik, against the younger King even though supposedly the bond had been repaired between the two countries...this was the elder sister of the injured party, after all. Still slightly cautious, Marsalla nodded, "Yes, my mother was the daughter of one of the King's chief advisors when my father met her while he was on a diplomatic journey to Sisemaal for King Lune's father. They fell in love over the four months he was there and married right before he was to return to Anvard."

Queen Susan smiled, "Oh that sounds like quite the romance. I trust you still keep ties with your mother's family."

Marsalla nodded again, "Yes, we do. It is mainly through letters now that my mother persuaded my father to return to Sisemaal after he retired from court business, and all but one of my sisters chose to marry Sisemaalian men. Nevertheless, they have come to see Peridan and I at least once a year to exchange news when they come to Anvard to trade or participate in the diplomatic talks." Marsalla took care not to mention any names or the fact that her uncle Teppo was one of King Jukka's advisors. It would be unwise to seem to have too strong a connection with Sisemaal.

Queen Susan nodded, but then one of the Rabbits, Poppy, hopped forward with a request for her, diverting the Queen's attention from Marsalla. Marsalla let out a tiny sigh of relief until she looked to check on Maisee and saw her daughter being held by Queen Lucy and fawned over by the Wolves and Tigers, who were balancing upright, in addition to the Nymphs. "Don't worry, Lady Marsalla, your daughter is quite safe."

Marsalla jerked around in surprise to look at one of the shorter Nymphs, a woman with tan skin and black hair. She looked almost human, but there was still some ethereal quality about her that said she was not Human. The Nymph smiled kindly, "Oh, I do apologize. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Tuulea, by the way. And, truly Maisee is in no danger. It's just there has not been a Human baby in Cair Paravel in over a hundred years and none of these young ones here have ever seen such a young Human, or at least not so close. And, they are curious. I'm afraid your twin sons will and have been spurring much the same fascination." The Nymph suddenly gestured to a stately Nymph with brownish-red skin, which contrasted prettily with her acorn brown hair, "That is my daughter-in-law, Deianeira, and my other daughter-in-law is Caia."

Marsalla's surprise that the Nymph who appeared to be not much older than herself, and she had not even seen five years past thirty, had sons who were grown and married turned to shock when she realized Caia was the armed Centauress. Tuulea didn't seem to notice her shock, thank the Great Emperor and His Son, Aslan. Marsalla was still trying to collect her wits when the chatter took on a softer tone as she watched Maisee be transferred to Deianeira's arms when Queen Lucy stepped a little away from the knot of females in response to some sort of summons from the Fox. Her eyes flicked to where she had last seen Lady Felicia Fox and, upon seeing the vixen watching the other Fox very closely, decided he must be the Rupert she had heard the Wolf, Clara, tease her about whilst she had been pouring tea. A moment later, she stood, intending to collect Maisee before she made her excuses, only to freeze halfway there when she saw the huge Centaur stride into the room. He bowed to both Queens before turning his full attention to Queen Lucy as he held out a note, "A message for you, Valiant Queen."

Queen Lucy beamed up at him as she took the note, "Oh thank you for taking the time to deliver it, General."

The General...Marsalla could certainly see why the rumors described him as one of the most fearsome warriors in Narnia. Maisee burbled happily only a few feet from her, but she didn't want to move...she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to her or hers. Queen Lucy seemed to deflate a little as she read the missive, "Oh, she says there's been a delay and they won't be able to start the journey home for another week, which means she won't be back for another five weeks if the weather holds."

The General looked no less impassive than he had when entering the room, "Perhaps the estimates are off, Queen Lucy. Katerina is not the best at giving them and she does have a tendency to overestimate when she bothers to give any estimates at all."

Queen Lucy nodded and Marsalla saw a smile reappear as she giggled, "This is true and she also has a tendency to think any travel by ship takes far far too long."

The Centaur nodded, but whatever he had been about to say was cut off by a sudden shout. Marsalla tensed when she realized that was Peridan shouting. "Thane! Shane! Come back here!"

She didn't even time to wonder how her sons had escaped their minders or why their father was the one chasing them when two tiny blurs of arms and legs rushed into the room with gleeful shouts. They didn't slow down until it was too late. Marsalla watched in horror as her sons skidded across the room, just missing Queen Lucy, but they slid under the table yanking on the tablecloth in an attempt to stop themselves. For a brief second, Marsalla thought that might be the worst of it, but it was not to be. As Thane and Shane slid under the table, and Peridan and the Kings skidded into the room, the tablecloth pulled tight and then the large cake that had been sitting on the end of the table toppled forward and hit the General. Marsalla blanched as a collective gasp went up from everyone watching as most of the General's bare torso, left arm, left foreleg, and the left side of his face were covered in pink frosting mixed with chunks of what looked like strawberry cake. She exchanged a look of despair with Peridan as they both reached the conclusion that their sons had once again humiliated the General who still had a strong say in Peridan's final fate.

The General stood there not speaking as he watched the twins peek out from the tablecloth that had fallen over them. They got up and quickly ran to hide behind Marsalla's skirts. Marsalla fought the urge to cringe when she caught a glimpse of the General's silent fury in his dark eyes, fury that flared when one of the Kings snorted with barely suppressed laughter. The younger King turned even paler than he already was when the General turned to look at him. "You find this amusing, How?" The King shook his head and the General moved his gaze to the High King, "And you, Wolfsbane?" There was a brief hesitation before the High King shook his head. The General walked toward the two Kings, ignoring all else, as he spoke in a dangerously calm tone, "Then the two of you shall have no complaints concerning the fact that you are to entertain yourselves with visiting the points of the compass. Now."

Marsalla watched stunned as the Kings turned and nearly bolted out of the room ahead of their General. Everyone in the room seemed to release their breath at once as the door closed behind the Centaur. Maisee shrieked with glee when she caught sight of Peridan, who accepted her from Deianeira, causing smiles to reappear. Caia shook her head, "Their majesties would have been safer if Sepphora had been here to distract the General from focusing on them."

The other Centauress, Alithia, nodded, "If anyone could have, she could. Although they still should have known better than to laugh within his hearing. I think I'll go prepare a fresh batch of liniment for them. They shall need it."

Marsalla couldn't help wondering who this Sepphora was as she and Peridan made their apologies and herded their sons back to their quarters...and why exactly would she be able to influence the General's reaction?

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Edmund ran up the final tower and bent over gasping for breath. Peter stopped beside him and huffed, "D-did you have to l-laugh, brother mine?"

Edmund grimaced at Peter, "I-I couldn't h-help it." The new endurance training exercise was quickly becoming one of Oreius' favorite tasks for him and his brother...and he used to think just running up the Cair's tallest tower was grueling. "I w-wish Kat was h-here."

Peter chuckled, he was breathless from running, but he somehow still managed to chuckle. Edmund would have rolled his eyes, but he was too tired. "Why? S-so she could run c-circles around us, b-both figuratively and l-literally?"

Edmund nodded, "P-point to you."

Peter nodded as he swiped the sweat off his brow and passed one of the waiting goblets of water to Edmund before taking a drink himself. "So, what did she say this time?"

Edmund grimaced at the reminder of the note, "She said they were delayed in being able to put to sea. She also mentioned that her bail money is starting to run low."

He scowled as Peter guffawed, "It's not funny, Peter. I can't tell if she's serious or not. And, this time it apparently wasn't her who landed in jail. Next time let's not send Kat on a diplomatic trip. I'm not sure we can afford it."

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! The training exercise of visiting the points of the compass is borrowed with permission from WillowDryad who was kind enough to let me give Oreius a new way to torment the boys during training. So, should Kat come back to the Cair in the next chapter or shall we delay another chapter and let Oreius officially meet Tarrin?**

**A/N2: Be sure to check out my new poll for my forthcoming holiday story, tentatively titled Christmas in the Cair. **


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Seven**

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18 Quickening 1005

Peridan gave Thane and Shane a stern look before he left the breakfast table. Starting the day before, the twins had been confined to their room with the maids minding them given strict orders not to let either boy out of sight and definitely not to allow both boys out of sight at the same time. Their punishment would continue for the next week. Peridan could only pray that the twins managed to absorb the lesson this time or, if as he suspected they did not, that they would at least cease to cause humiliation to the General.

After the highly embarrassing way the twins had interrupted the Queens' tea, Marsalla had become so upset that her illness came to the fore once again. Peridan had overruled her feeble protest the day before and had her stay in bed...this morning she hadn't even tried to leave the bed and a maid was staying with her should she need or want anything. Still, Peridan hoped she would be back on the mend soon since the stress caused by everything that had happened had been greatly alleviated with Queen Susan sending a message inviting Marsalla to be one of her ladies-in-waiting as soon as her health permitted it. Peridan thanked Aslan that the Gentle Queen was being so gracious to Marsalla, though he doubted that Marsalla would be easily persuaded to bring Maisee with her again...the larger Talking Beasts and their fascination with Maisee had frightened Marsalla terribly. Peridan escorted Raisa to the library where his daughter immediately started chattering at the older Centaur, Stonebrook, who looked slightly amused instead of discomfited at Raisa's steady flow of chatter...Peridan wondered if the Centaur had a daughter with similar tendencies. Leaving Raisa safely ensconced in the library, Peridan hurried to meet with a Captain Cletus. As he made his way through the Cair, Peridan absently hoped Tarrin wouldn't find himself in trouble.

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Edmund grunted as he struggled to balance the large bucket long enough to grab the other bag before he set the bucket down again. He wished Kat were there, she would have been delighted to help him set up this particular prank…and, truthfully, it was more suited to two people rather than a single prankster. The soft click of the door opening caused him to spin around, meeting the surprised gaze of Tarrin Peridanson. Edmund breathed a sigh of relief, and then smirked a little as a new idea came to him. He nodded to Tarrin, "Good morn, Tarrin."

Tarrin jumped a little, seeming even more surprised that Edmund remembered his name, then he hastily bowed, "Good morning, your majesty."

Edmund grimaced, Kat was right about how tiresome it was to hear his title from everyone but family all the time except from her and Philip...one of the reasons he tended to miss Kat's company...not that he ever told her that. "Please, Tarrin, call me Edmund, it's been awhile since I've been around a boy my age."

Tarrin nodded, "As you wish, King Edmund." Edmund thought about correcting Tarrin, but then he accepted that Tarrin had probably had court manners drilled into him a lot longer than Edmund himself. In any case, it seemed Tarrin's curiosity finally got the better of him. "King Edmund, what are you doing with that bucket?"

Edmund grinned, "I'm planning to play a prank on my brother. He's supposed to come through here after he finishes the promotion ceremony for two of our officers. I'm not there because I was supposed to be in a trade meeting with some of the weavers from Glasswater but they've all taken a cold and it's delayed until sometime next week." He smiled a little wider at Tarrin's palpable astonishment and added in a somewhat sardonic tone, "We do not always act all proper and stuffy, Tarrin." Pausing again, Edmund finally asked in all seriousness, "Would you care to help me set this prank up? It's meant for two people to pull off in truth and my usual partner in crime is unavailable."

Edmund didn't think Tarrin would accept for a moment, then a mischievous smile spread across the boy's face and Edmund could instantly see the family resemblance between Tarrin and his younger brothers. Tarrin nodded, "Tell me what to do, King Edmund."

Edmund opened the lid covering the top of the bucket and then carefully flipped open the top flap of the other bag, careful not to disturb the contents, and grinned as Tarrin's eyes widened appreciatively at the components of the prank. Closing the lid and flipping the flap closed again, Edmund quickly began to lay out what would be Tarrin's role in the prank with the other boy nodding and occasionally chuckling. Edmund couldn't wait to see the look on Peter's face when he received the end results of Edmund and Tarrin's work.

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Tarrin could hardly believe he was helping the Just King of Narnia play a prank on the High King of Narnia. He hoped King Edmund was right about how his brother would appreciate the cleverness of the prank; otherwise, his parents would be completely horrified by how he had done such a thing to one of their new sovereigns. But, he was also kind of excited to find out that the King really was a boy like him and they might even become friends.

Together the two boys arranged the large bucket and bag into the precise positions needed on either end of the railing of the small balcony that ran along the upper walls of the hall, which led out to the wider balcony that wrapped around the outside of the building before connecting with one of the lower parapets. Tightening the ropes that would cause bucket and bag to swing down and unleash the prank on the unsuspecting High King, Tarrin exchanged a grin with King Edmund before the slightly older boy held up his hand. Tarrin tensed, ready to pull back the flap of the bag and shove it off the railing at Edmund's signal. He could hear the hinges of the door creak slightly as it was swung open. A beam of sunlight caused polished armor to glint even as King Edmund shoved the uncovered bucket off the rail. Tarrin immediately pulled back the flap and shoved the bag off just as he heard King Edmund gasp, "No, wait, Tarrin!"

Tarrin tried to lunge for the bag, but his fingers barely brushed against the canvas as the bag swung down and away from his desperate reach. With his head and upper torso hanging over the balcony railing, Tarrin watched in horror as first the bucket deposited its load of three gallons of honey and then the large bag emptied its load of bright peacock feathers on someone who was most definitely _not_ the High King. The High King cautiously edged his way around the unintended victim...Tarrin wasn't sure if it was to avoid stepping in the mess or to avoid becoming a target of the other warrior...he also didn't think the High King could have said one way or another at that moment. Then, his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw his father and an armored Faun follow the High King. He leaned up and away from the railing, hoping against hope that no one had noticed him.

The High King turned, looking resplendent and magnificent in his armor and every inch a warrior king, and Tarrin felt a frisson of fear at what the prank might have just cost his parents after the High King called out, "Edmund, you'd best get down here...and bring your friend with you."

Tarrin shared a despairing look with King Edmund before he followed the older boy with heavy steps. A sudden sense of shame and embarrassment settled on him when he saw the disbelieving look in his father's eyes. But that embarrassment was completely replaced by horror when he looked over as they reached the main floor and realized who exactly they had pranked...or rather humiliated. The huge Centaur stood silent, his helmet held under one arm while his other hand rested on the pommel of his huge claymore. His armor probably should have been as resplendent as that of the High King and the Faun, but it wasn't. Instead, it, and the Centaur's entire front half, was completely covered in golden honey that lazily dripped down to land on the floor where the peacock feathers weren't sticking to the Centaur, his armor, his weapons, and his hair had a number of feathers sticking out at odd angles. What made it worse was Tarrin recognized the unfortunate Centaur as the General, and then the General looked from him to King Edmund then back to him and there was no hiding his fury. "Peridan, I understand this is your son as well."

Tarrin nearly cringed at the dangerously calm tone that belied the fury burning behind the honey and peacock feathers dripping down the General's face as his father responded quietly, "Yes, this is my eldest, Tarrin. I apol-"

The General held up a single sticky and feathery hand, "This is not the time for your apology." The General looked stern even through the mask of honey and peacock feathers as he continued, "Sir How, you will report to the training yard tonight after you have finished your evening meal. We will discuss the details of your punishment then. Sir Wolfsbane, you will not allow your brother out of sight until you are dismissed after escorting him to the training yard." Both Kings bowed their heads in acknowledgement of their General's words, much to Tarrin's surprise. Then the General addressed his father, "Lord Peridan, your son is yours to discipline." Tarrin watched his father bow respectfully to the furious General, and then everyone froze again as the General spoke in a soft warning tone, "None of you are to so much as breath a word about this to anyone, but especially not to Sepphora." This time even the Faun bowed in acknowledgement along with Tarrin, his father, and the Kings. Tarrin had no doubt that whoever Sepphora was, she would not be hearing about the morning's events from anyone in that room.

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27 Quickening 1005

Oreius crossed his arms as he oversaw How and Wolfsbane as they sparred with each other, both using sword and shield, though he knew Edmund would rather be using two swords. His tail swished against his flanks as he recalled the annoyance caused by the young colt's ill-conceived prank nine days beforehand. As a result, Oreius had changed his training regimen so How had visited the points of the compass three times a day every day for the last week and he was restricted to only sparring with sword and shield for another week yet. Oreius thought that racing to the top of the main palace's north, east, south, and west towers would help remind the colt why he wasn't to arbitrarily plant pranks where anyone other than his brother, including any dignitaries, could be caught instead of Peter.

A slight movement at the arched entryway into the training yard caught his attention. Turning his head just enough to get a better look, Oreius was somewhat surprised to see Peridan's son, Tarrin, watching his students fight with a wistful expression. Oreius knew that Peridan had confined all three of his sons to the family's quarters for the last week. Peridan had thus far proved himself to be willing to work with any soldier Oreius set him with, from Sefu to Cletus to Ardon to Rupert, all the reports were approving of Peridan as both a soldier and a person. Though it was clear to Oreius that Peridan and his wife were still adjusting to the very different land and people of Narnia, with a bit more difficulty than their children were, he was also becoming more satisfied that Peridan and his family would be able to make the necessary adjustment.

He watched both Wolfsbane and How as the match ended and occasionally studied Tarrin's wistful expression as the colt had no idea he had been spotted while he contemplated a new idea. The match ended with Peter defeating his younger brother...the advantage going to Peter as Edmund had yet to regain some of his familiarity with the sword and shield after fighting almost exclusively with two swords for the past three months. Oreius intended to remedy that little problem as well. He did not immediately tell the colts what they needed to adjust in the next round. Instead, he ignored their confused gazes as he crossed the training yard to stand in front of Tarrin, whose eyes grew huge as he towered over him. "Have you a blade, Tarrin Peridanson?"

The colt started at the question before he nodded and touched the sword hanging at his waist, "Yes sir. My father's, sir, from when he was my age."

Oreius nodded, "Good. Come." He walked back to where Peter and Edmund were waiting with Captain Cletus. He gestured for Tarrin to come closer, which the colt did all the while darting questioning looks at both Peter and Edmund who each gave a tiny shrug in reply. "Now. Tarrin Peridanson will be joining your lessons from this point forward." The colts looked confused and Edmund opened his mouth, but Oreius cut him off, already anticipating the question, "When Dame Sepphora returns, she will be made aware of the new circumstances. For now focus on your lesson today. How, your shieldwork is sloppy. Has allowing you to focus on working with dual blades been such a detriment to your core skills?"

Edmund shook his head, "No, General, I can rectify the matter."

Oreius nodded, "And, so you shall...as you spar against Peridanson. Wolfsbane, you shall spar with Captain Cletus." Oreius had a feeling the decision to include Peridan's eldest son in the Kings' training would not be one he regretted. The colts would be stronger for working with another Human, a colt near their own age, and he thought it might allow the three to become close friends as well.

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11 Mayblossom 1006

It was closing in on midnight by the time Oreius returned to his quarters. He tapped the sheaf of reports in the palm of his hand before he opened the door to his study only to stop in his tracks. Someone was sitting in the chair tucked in the corner of the room. He grinned, "So you didn't drown after all."

She swung her legs off the chair arm and stood up with a laugh, "Well, it wasn't for the lack of trying on Murphy's part, believe me, Kentauri."

He stepped forward and set his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place as he looked her over, inspecting for any signs of injury, before he spoke, "You look well."

She tilted her head slightly, "For someone who's been tossed around in a stupid boat for the last three months, I suppose. It's a good thing it's dark outside. Otherwise, I might scare people."

He chuckled as he stepped to the side and gave her a little push toward the door, "Go, get some rest, you need it, and tomorrow I expect full reports."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Of course, you do, Oreius."

She was nearly out the door when Oreius spoke again, "Katerina Alambiel, it is good to have you home."

Katerina Alambiel gave him a tired smile as she picked up her travel packs, "It's good to be home, Oreius."

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so Kat does make her appearance in this chapter. Her appearance also marks the time skip of almost five week from the events of the last chapter and the events at the beginning of the chapter. Next chapter, Kat and at least three of the Peridan clan will meet in addition to finding out what she's been doing at sea exactly. Let me know what y'all thought about this one and what you think will happen when Kat meets Peridan and co.**

**A/N2: Be sure to check out my new poll for my forthcoming holiday story, tentatively titled Christmas in the Cair.**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Eight**

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12 Mayblossom 1006

Peridan watched Tarrin race down the hall to get to the training yard on time. He smiled a little at how the boy was quickly becoming one of the boon companions of the Kings. Though Tarrin didn't always appreciate the great honor that had been done to him and their family by the General allowing him to train with the Kings, especially after the first time the General had assigned all three of them to complete the training exercise he referred to as visiting the points of the compass. Peridan thanked Aslan that Tarrin's part in the prank that accidentally landed on the General instead of the High King hadn't proven detrimental after all. He spotted Thane and Shane giggling in a corner as they tried to escape their minders again and recalled how that week he had been wondering if his sons had suddenly decided they hated him for some reason. Fortunately, Becky appeared and herded both twins right back into their room before Peridan had to chase them down himself...which tended to make Thane and Shane think it was a wonderful game of tig.

Shaking his head, Peridan continued walking through the halls of the Cair. General Oreius had given him the task of being among the Queens' guards for the afternoon, but his morning was free and he was taking advantage of the opportunity to familiarize himself further with the Cair and its people. The Centaur, Stonebrook, had been most helpful in not only allowing Raisa access to the library but also in taking the time to not only make the necessary introductions between Peridan and other key members of the court, but also in arranging for tutors for Tarrin and Raisa. Peridan enjoyed the Centaur elder's company as well, which was why he was headed toward the library in hopes of finding Stonebrook. Walking into the library, he was immediately greeted by Elwood. The Badger gave him a cursory and dismissive glance as he adjusted his spectacles, "Stonebrook is not here this morn. That Nymph who never ceases her infernal chattering or meddling dragged him off an hour ago. Don't understand why one as logical and sensible and calm as the Centaur took that Nymph as his mate. How can he stand the continual chatter? And, the meddling! Only thing worse than a chattering female is a meddling one!"

Peridan decided the best and wisest course of action was to retreat. Carefully and quietly retracing his steps, Peridan slipped back out of the library leaving Elwood to continue grumbling about the vexations of being in the company of chattering and meddling females. He had actually only met Stonebrook's wife once, but that one time had been more than enough to explain why Stonebrook never seemed bothered by Raisa's chatter. Wandering through the halls, Peridan mused about how different Narnia was from Archenland as he nodded to those he passed who would oft throw in a 'Good morn'. Archenland was a good place to live, and King Lune was a fair man and wise leader, Peridan had traveled to a number of other lands including Sisemaal and Calormen so he knew how much freer Archenland was compared to them, but somehow Narnia managed to be even more open and welcoming. As the weeks passed, Peridan could appreciate far better how the first generation of his family who escaped Jadis' purge had mourned the loss of their ancestral home in Narnia. It was different and occasionally disconcerting such as when the larger carnivores would bare their teeth in a smile, but it was also rejuvenating and captivating...the land, the people, all of it was... He could hardly describe it even in his own thoughts as anything other than in Narnia you knew, you simply _knew_ that Narnia was truly the birthplace of their world, that it was where Aslan had sung the world into being.

Peridan was pulled from his musings by the delighted shriek of Narnia's youngest Queen, "Kat!" He looked up sharply as his hand automatically went to his sword, but saw only one other person in the hall ahead of him. A woman, probably yet another Nymph, stood with her back to him and beyond her, he could see Queen Lucy running toward her still laughing and shouting, "Kat! Oh, Kat, you're back!" He walked forward a little but stopped when Queen Lucy flung her arms around the woman in an exuberant hug, "I was beginning to wonder if you would _ever_ come back to Cair Paravel. How was the trip? You never did say in your notes, you know. Did you see Lord Seddhan and his family? Or what about Soren? Did you visit everyone? How are they? Oh, when you were in the Seven Isles, did you see the Floating Gardens of Redhaven? Aren't they simply marvelous? Oh and how did you like Hettia? Did the ambassador exaggerate when he described his country for us at the council last year?"

Queen Lucy never gave the woman a chance to answer as she jumped from one question to another in a manner that reminded Peridan of Raisa while she pulled the woman along after her. Watching them disappear, Peridan decided not only did Queen Lucy know the woman, but apparently, she was also someone who had been gone for some time. Picking a different direction to continue his walk, Peridan felt confident that he would most likely be introduced to Queen Lucy's friend when he joined the Queens' guard that afternoon.

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Katerina watched Lucy in amusement as she allowed the thirteen-year-old to pull her down the halls until they reached the eastern balcony overlooking the sea that the Pevensies preferred using for breakfast whenever the weather permitted it. Lucy asked about everything and everyone without really taking a breath...she was in rare form that morn. She finally ceased talking at her when they reached the balcony just long enough to call out, "Susan! Susan, look who's finally back!"

Susan looked up from the book she had been reading and gave Katerina a warm smile before she turned to Lucy, "Lu, don't you think you should let Kat have a chance to at least sit down before you continue peppering her with questions?" The teasing glint in her eyes belied her mild scolding, which turned into another smile when Katerina mouthed her thanks as Lucy finally let go of her hand and walked over to an empty seat. Katerina poured herself some coffee before joining the two. Susan gave her a quick hug before they both took their seats, "It's good to have you back, Kat."

Katerina smiled, "You mean it's good to have me back where everyone who is so much more diplomatic than I can make sure I don't cause any permanent damage."

Lucy and Susan laughed and shook their heads in quick denial of her teasing. Lucy grinned, "That's not true, Kat, we're glad to have you back for you. Isn't that right, Susan?"

Susan nodded, "Yes, it is. Oh and Kat you should meet the new family who came to Cair Paravel last month. We can introduce you to each other at a proper tea or perhaps a dinner would be best. I'll check what else we have to do for this week since that would be rather short notice to give to Kori and the rest of the kitchen staff to prepare an entire meal fit for Humans, Centaurs, Nymphs, Fauns, and Talking Beasts. I think it would be appropriate to invite at least General Oreius, Stonebrook, Tuulea, their sons and their wives of course, Captain Ardon and Alithia, Captain Cletus and Amaryllis, Mr. Tumnus is supposed to be coming for a visit as well, oh and Sherket and Sefu with their cubs and Ptah, and Sir Rupert and Lady Felicia as well since those two seem to be getting along smashingly by all accounts. Let's see, what else?"

Katerina exchanged a knowing smile with Lucy as Susan began scribbling down names and other minute details on a blank sheet of parchment she carried for just such occasions. After experiencing everything Susan handled on a daily basis for themselves with the major peace summit hosted in Cair Paravel the year before, Katerina knew that she and Lucy both came away with a far greater appreciation for how much work Susan actually had to put into organizing and hosting the various feasts, tournaments, and other events Cair Paravel held at any given time...and she actually enjoyed doing such things. Of course, that didn't mean they weren't going to escape from helping when Susan inevitably descended into her preparation madness and commandeered most of the Cair's inhabitants into her decorating army. Allowing Susan to continue her impromptu planning, Katerina settled in with her coffee and began entertaining Lucy with the answers to all her earlier questions about her trip.

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Edmund and Peter parted ways with Tarrin with a grin and a wave before they ran to their quarters to clean up and change after training. Edmund grimaced slightly at Peter as they both fought to escape their valets fast enough that breakfast wouldn't be completely cold. His brother smirked in reply as they finally broke free and escaped to the corridor outside their quarters, "They actually weren't that bad today, Ed."

Edmund scowled, "Compared to when? They were acting like we had a major function to go to instead of just going to breakfast with the girls."

Peter shook his head, "When are you going to learn, good my brother, that there is no such thing as a minor function to our dear valets?"

Edmund frowned as he was once again forced to concede the point to Peter, "True...and it doesn't help that they're Fauns, Lion bless them."

Peter chuckled, "Aye, brother mine, Lion bless them. Now let's go before something else delays us from meeting our sisters and getting breakfast."

Edmund nodded fervently, "Agreed." He hoped there was toast...and coffee. He was starving and-

"Your Majesties?"

He shared an exasperated look with Peter before clearing his expression as they turned to see both Oreius and Stonebrook approaching them. "Is something wrong?"

The Centaurs exchanged a look before Oreius moved his hand slightly. Before either Edmund or Peter could say a word, their guards immediately dispersed with one of the Tigers running ahead to clear the rest of the hall until only Oreius and Stonebrook remained. Peter arched an eyebrow, "Why such measures, General?"

Edmund watched Oreius' face closely, but the Centaur gave no hint of his thoughts as Stonebrook answered, "A courier arrived from Sisemaal not even twenty minutes ago. Privacy seems wise."

They started walking again as Peter took the message and read it. Edmund started to lose his patience as his brother remained silent, "Peter, we would all _appreciate_ hearing what news Sisemaal sends to Narnia."

Peter looked up with a slight frown, "I doubt 'appreciate' is the word you really want to use, Edmund. King Jukka has sent a trade delegation under Duke Toomas...and his nephew, the new count."

Edmund tensed a little at the mention of Duke Toomas' nephew as he recalled the character of the Duke's other nephew, the late and most unlamented Hendrik. He begged Aslan that Duke Toomas had been correct about the younger brother being of better caliber than Hendrik otherwise he doubted anyone in the Cair would tolerate it. "When is the delegation supposed to arrive?"

Peter checked the message again, "They estimated that they would arrive two to three weeks from now."

Edmund frowned then looked at Oreius and Stonebrook, "Kat didn't seem to do too badly with the Sisemaalian delegation last year, correct?"

Stonebrook gave a slight shrug, "Katerina Alambiel and the Sisemaalians did their best to avoid each other except when it was absolutely necessary to interact with each other. As far as I know, they were never left alone in the same area...or if they were left alone, Katerina Alambiel managed to control her temper enough not to leave a body count."

Edmund looked at Peter, "Maybe we should err on the side of caution and make sure there isn't any chance of Kat running into the Sisemaalian delegation?"

Peter considered for a moment before he gave a curt nod, "I think that's better than trying to keep her on one side of the Cair and the Sisemaalians on the other side. Stonebrook, Oreius, what do you think?"

Oreius nodded, "It seems better for all involved as I do not believe Katerina Alambiel would easily tolerate being around the close kin of Hendrik even if she does respect Duke Toomas." Edmund felt a shiver run down his spine at the thread of disgust and fury that entered Oreius's voice when he spat Hendrik's name. It would definitely be intolerable for their General if Hendrik's younger brother were not cut from a different cloth. However, when Oreius continued there was no hint in his voice of that previous disgust and fury. "Are you going to warn Katerina Alambiel that the delegation is coming?"

Edmund frowned in thought then he looked at Peter who nodded for him to speak. Edmund hesitated for a moment before he shook his head, "No. I don't think telling Kat would be a good thing. She might refuse to leave Cair Paravel if she knew, which would make things awkward in the very best case scenario and the worst case scenario would probably be even worse than what we can imagine."

Peter slowed his steps slightly as they had nearly reached the doors leading out to the eastern balcony, "I agree with you, but how exactly are we going to get Kat out of the Cair for the currently unknown amount of time until the delegation takes their leave without tipping her off that we're trying to get rid of her?"

Stonebrook chuckled, "Tuulea will take care of it. She will not only get Katerina Alambiel out of the Cair and keep her away as long as necessary, but she will guilt her into volunteering to accompany her on the upcoming trip."

Edmund couldn't keep the incredulity out of his voice as he stated, "I didn't think it was possible to guilt Kat into anything."

As they arrived on the balcony, Oreius muttered to them, "Tuulea can guilt anyone into anything."

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Edmund and Peter trooped in discussing a matter with Oreius and Stonebrook, though that conversation seemed cease or at least abruptly change tracks when they noticed her sitting with Susan and Lucy. As they drew nearer, Lucy beamed at her, "I'm so glad you're back, Kat." Katerina gave her an amused look but didn't mention that was only the thirty-fifth time Lucy had made that comment. Her amusement fled, however, as Lucy continued, "We were all a bit surprised when Edmund told us that you volunteered to go on the diplomatic trip to Galma, Terebinthia, the Lone Islands, the Seven Isles, and Hettia."

She closed her eyes for a moment then spoke in a very soft voice as her Irish lilt became thicker by the word, "Volunteered? Edmund told you that I volunteered?"

Lucy's blue eyes widened as she darted a glance at Edmund who was trying to shrink down in his chair, which was no longer so easy as he was a long, lean, and lanky fifteen-year-old, "Kat, you did volunteer, didn't you?"

Katerina crossed her arms and glared at Edmund, "Not if you go by the traditional definition of volunteering as a willing action of one's own free will, this was more obligated volunteering because he told each of the delegates from those islands that I would be more than happy to come in person on the next scheduled diplomatic trip."

Edmund cleared his throat, "Kat, you agreed to go of your own free will."

Katerina immediately shook her head, "Oh no, agreeing to go after I was already volunteered to go by you does not be counting as volunteering. Do any of you actually believe that I would voluntarily agree to go bobbing around in a boat on the ocean for the past three months with stops to interact with the same dignitaries I had more than enough of last year? I mean really? We are talking about me here, and I don't like bobbing around on the ocean in a boat."

Edmund sat up as he protested, "But you swim!"

Katerina rolled her eyes, ignoring the others' smiles as she countered, "I assure you, Edmund, drowning is not what worries me. Bobbing on a boat in the middle of ocean is a bad idea because Murphy loves plaguing me with his law and there are things in the ocean that like to eat people. Not going to risk it, I have enough to deal with all the land- and air-bound creatures that want to eat me. I refuse to add sea monsters, sharks, evil jellyfish, and anything else that Murphy might send my way."

Peter and Edmund looked over her head, most likely at Oreius and Stonebrook, and mouthed 'evil jellyfish' but she held up a hand to keep any of them from interrupting as she continued, "And, furthermore, I really do not enjoy or even like having to pretend to be diplomatic to individuals I can't stand. In fact, while bobbing on the thrice-accursed boat from Murphy's harbor, I decided that I will not go any diplomatic trips for at least three years. I refuse."

Edmund looked at his siblings the he looked at Oreius and Stonebrook who were still standing behind her before he finally met her gaze. "Agreed, no more diplomatic trips for at least three years. Umm, Kat, just to clarify. You were just teasing when you sent those notes about being tossed out of cities and running out bail money, right?"

She smirked as she intentionally paused before answering, "Well, I exaggerated a bit. I mean, we were only tossed out of two cities total and we were only forced to pay bail once or twice...per city. And, it wasn't always my fault. Sometimes it was Alaois and Lonn."

Edmund suddenly ran his hands through his hair, "And, part of your deal for not mentioning the difficulties in diplomatic dispatches to Cair Paravel included not returning for three years, didn't it?"

Katerina shrugged, "Well, that might have been part of the deal. It was diplomatic. I should get credit for that much and none of the damages were actually that bad." She nearly burst out laughing at the stunned looks she earned by mentioning damages, but since she didn't want to get into the details, she quickly stood, "I think now's a good time for me to go get the stuff I brought back with me."

She didn't wait for them to react as she raced back inside. She laughed softly when Ptah shook his head at her then bumped against her leg in greeting as they passed each other in the hall. It was definitely good to be back home and even more exquisite to be off that ridiculous bobbing boat. Katerina had nearly reached her quarters when two small bodies slammed into her, looking down, she raised an eyebrow at the sight of two identical little boys staring up at her. Well, she certainly hadn't seen that one coming.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so Kat and Peridan's family haven't "officially" met...next chapter, promise. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this chapter. What are your theories about how the plans to keep Kat from running to the Sisemaalians will go? And, what do you think will happen in the surprise meeting between Kat and the Twins?**

**A/N2: Be sure to check out my new poll for my forthcoming holiday story, tentatively titled Christmas in the Cair.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Nine**

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Katerina tilted her head and smiled as the twin boys mirrored her actions. She loved children, and the two adorable little boys looked like they were either five or six. She automatically dropped into a crouch, putting herself on their level, "Hello."

They gave her shy little smiles and replied in unison, "Hello."

She smiled back at them, "What are your names, little Scátháin?"

They quickly whispered to each other then looked at her again, "Thane and Shane."

Katerina almost laughed, but just smiled as she tried to figure out which one was which, "So, which of you be Thane?" The boy on her left pointed to himself. "I see, so you be Shane?" The boy on her right nodded. "And, how old are you, Thane and Shane?" Thane held up both hands, presenting her with six fingers, but Shane only held up one hand...until Thane leaned over and whispered to him, then he held up the extra finger needed to reach six. Katerina laughed softly, "Did you just turn six?"

Thane and Shane nodded, "We moveded to Narnia for our birthday!"

She laughed, "Did you now?" She immediately wondered which merchant family had brought their little ones with them. Katerina made the mental note to ask Tuulea since the Nymph always knew who belonged to which family.

They nodded again then gave her hair a curious look and she knew they were only moments away from reaching out to touch it. Shane reached for her hair only to freeze when a new voice called out excitedly, "Ala! Ala, you're back!"

Katerina barely resisted rolling her eyes at the nickname two litters of Raccoon kits and one litter of Leopard cubs had taken to calling her. Instead, she smiled at the small Leopard, "Shesheta! Ah, I've missed your company and your family's as well."

Shesheta immediately rubbed her cheek against Katerina's then she pointed a paw at Thane and Shane, "Look! That's Thane and Shane. They look alike and they don't even have spots so people can tell them apart, not even spots that blend in like mine." The black Leopard dropped her voice to what was supposed to be a whisper, though Katerina was certain everyone in the hall could hear Shesheta complain, "They don't even smell different from each other. Daddy says they smashed into every officer in the Cair and they mashed a cake on Oreius!" Katerina barely suppressed the sudden urge to laugh. She was definitely going to have to get that story out of someone, probably Lucy. Shesheta whirled around to face the twins and grinned at them, "Thane, Shane, this is Ala. She plays games and tells the bestest stories when she's allowed."

Katerina gently cut in before the sweet young Leopard could say anything else, "Shesheta, do you know where Thane and Shane are staying?" Shesheta nodded eagerly and Katerina continued, "Would you make sure they get to their room then? It would be a wonderful help to me. Oh, and tell your mother that I'll come by later today to see all of you, okay?" Shesheta nodded again, and Katerina smiled once more at the twins, "Thane, Shane, it was a pleasure meeting you. You two behave yourselves, all right?" They nodded then ran after Shesheta, all three little ones giggling as their dash quickly turned into a game of tig with the twins chasing Shesheta down the hall. Katerina shook her head as she watched them round the corner, and then she continued to her own quarters. She would pull the presents then she would see just what this cake mashing business was all about.

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Oreius looked up at the knock and motioned for the Satyr to enter. "Lieutenant Alaois, how did the trip go truly?"

Lieutenant Alaois shrugged slightly and ground his hoof against the floor, "It went well until we reached Terebinthia and the Seven Isles."

Oreius raised an eyebrow, "What happened?"

The Satyr hesitated, "Dame Sepphora would not appreciate the tale being born about, sir. But, when we reached Terebinthia, Lord Seddhan served as our host and everything went well until our third day there. She heard from Lord Seddhan about a number of houses spread about the capital that serve as a type of temporary home for orphaned or abandoned children. Dame Sepphora insisted we go inspect these houses, at each one she left a sizable donation with strict instructions for the money to be used to provide clothing, food, schooling, and anything else that was needed for the children. At one of the houses, a Terebinthian official tried to stop her from doing anything and she cut him down verbally before he even realized that it had happened. But, the next day Lord Seddhan warned us that we needed to set sail as soon as the tide allowed because several of the officials were trying to cite Dame Sepphora for disrupting the peace. However, Terebinthia did not want to risk straining relations with Narnia so if she agreed not to return for three years and to leave as soon as the tide allowed, the complaints would be dismissed and no official report would make its way to Cair Paravel. Dame Sepphora thought it was a reasonable solution and she agreed. After that, the trip passed without incident until we reached Redhaven. General, once again Dame Sepphora heard of these 'orphanages' and insisted on inspecting them. We found two that were badly rundown and Dame Sepphora donated the last of her own money to pay for the repairs to one house and to purchase a completely new house because the other one was beyond repair. Then, she started using the additional emergency funds, which she referred to as bail money, for the other houses with the same conditions as she laid down in Terebinthia. Yet, we didn't truly encounter any problems until we went to visit the last so-called haven for orphaned and abandoned children."

Alaois paused and Oreius watched the Satyr struggle for words before he tossed his head and ground out, "It was not a haven. It was h- It was a place of torment. They were selling the children to these foul men who did not hesitate to torment and despoil those defenseless innocents. When Dame Sepphora discovered this fact, she came down on them with all her wrath and with the full weight of the Narnian crown. She used her authority as a knight, as an ambassador, and as an official representative of the Four thrones of Cair Paravel to force the trial of the owner of that place and all of his conspirators we were able to catch. Dame Sepphora spoke so passionately at the trial on behalf of those children that the men were sentenced to death should Cair Paravel's representative approve the sentencing. She did. Then, she issued orders for that foul place to be razed to the ground and nothing was to be built over it so it would be a testament to the fact that Narnia did not allow for either the slave trade or the exploitation of children. She bought one of the larger empty homes near the Floating Gardens to serve as the new home for those children. We did not leave the Seven Isles until Dame Sepphora had handpicked the new caretakers and made arrangements for a fund to be established for them to use to take care of the children, which included making a concentrated effort to see the children eventually adopted into good families. She promised and warned that Cair Paravel would be keeping a very close eye on the Seven Isles to ensure that there was no need to enact similar measures in the future. After that we finally sailed to Hettia and were delayed by bad weather when we intended to return to Cair Paravel."

Oreius nodded solemnly, taking care not to betray his thoughts, "Thank you, Lieutenant. You're dismissed." Lieutenant Alaois left and Oreius wondered when Katerina Alambiel would bring the topic up before the Royals. She would probably bring it up with him before she did so. And, he had to admit he wasn't the least bit surprised at her actions. Katerina Alambiel had a soft spot for children and it seemed they returned the favor, and he knew if anything was bad enough to make her crack down in utter fury and seriousness, it must have been truly horrifying because she never used her authority as an ambassador and official representative of the Four unless it was necessary. She must have seemed at once terrifying and wonderful to those young ones...and she would have been perfectly happy if no one ever knew she was responsible for those acts. Katerina Alambiel was such an enigma.

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Peridan kissed Marsalla's forehead as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "It's been weeks and we've seen no sign of her, my Tesoro. Don't worry about those rumors anymore."

He waited to release his hold until he felt her relax completely. Then he shifted from wrapping his arm around her to simply holding her free hand in his larger calloused one as he held a little stuffed lamb in front of Maisee who shrieked in delight and babbled as she reached for it then giggled whenever Peridan gently wiggled the lamb's nose against her neck or belly. Marsalla smiled and lightly squeezed his hand, "Maybe you are right about my uncle's tendency to exaggerate his stories, but Sisemaal still doesn't have pubs."

Peridan laughed. It had been months since Marsalla felt well enough to make any sort of jest. Narnia was definitely helping his wife's constitution improve. He silently thanked Aslan, and then Thane and Shane banged into the room. "Mother! Father! We meeted Ala and she's nice. Shesheta says so and she tells stories!"

Peridan let go of Marsalla's hand and raised his hand for silence. The twins stopped running around the settee and simply bounced in place with huge grins. Maisee laughed in delight at the sight of her brothers' bouncing and tried to bounce herself in Marsalla's lap. "Thane, Shane, who's Ala?"

They paused for a single moment and chorused in unison, "A lady!"

Marsalla cast him a despairing look and he knew she secretly hoping their sons hadn't insulted yet another Narnian. Peridan was also wondering how to figure out which Nymph, 'lady' was only ever used to describe the Nymphs, the twins had run into this time. "Was there anything funny about Ala?"

Thane and Shane looked at each other, then Shane whispered to Thane and Thane nodded, "She has white hair!"

Peridan sighed as he resigned himself to having to ask Stonebrook if he knew where he could track down the white-haired Nymph named Ala. Standing up, he kissed Marsalla then wiggled the little lamb for Maisee again before he took Thane and Shane to their room and Becky's watchful eye. He had to go join Queen Lucy's guard.

Reaching the room, he nodded to the Cougar, Heru, and then walked into the room. A gale of feminine laughter greeted him, "Are you serious?"

Queen Lucy's infectious giggle filled the room as she nodded eagerly, "Yes! That's exactly what happened, Kat."

The golden-haired Nymph Peridan had seen her talking to earlier that day threw her head back and laughed, "I cannot believe I missed seeing the Kentauri splattered in cake!"

Peridan froze as he realized the Nymph must be speaking of the incident with his sons and the General, but she was speaking in such an irreverent tone...he was surprised no one corrected her. Queen Lucy smiled brilliantly, "Now, Kat, you're not going to tease him, are you?"

The Nymph called Kat shook her head, "Oh no. I would never tease him about such a thing, Lucy. I shall harass him about it instead."

Peridan felt a frisson of shock at how the Nymph had addressed the Valiant Queen without title. He stepped forward to correct her and respectfully request she show the Queen the proper respect she deserved, only to be thwarted when Queen Lucy spotted him and waved, "Peridan, come and meet Kat. Kat, this is Lord Peridan. He and his family are the ones Susan told you about this morn. They moved here from Archenland. Lord Peridan, this is Kat, well, Lady Katerina."

The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it...until she turned in her seat. The golden hair with white streaks, taller than most Human women...this was the woman whose rumors so terrified Marsalla, the Lady Katerina, also known as the Strega of Narnia among certain circles of both the court at Anvard and among the Sisemaalian court. The witch who for some reason had pledged her loyalty to Narnia, but none knew for sure why or how that pledge was bound to her. Peridan was not a superstitious man and he had in fact chalked the majority of the rumors about the Strega of Narnia to overactive imaginations, but twenty years as a warrior had taught him the wisdom of being cautious in the face of the unknown. He bowed politely and uttered the correct salutations, but he did not deny the slight relief he felt when the Lady Katerina excused herself shortly afterward. He would be watching Lady Katerina very closely...and he would be keeping his family well away from her until he was satisfied with whether or not she could be trusted.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! So, we're starting to get into the real problem area. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Ten**

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Oreius walked into his quarters after spending most of the night reading the stars but only allowed for the slightest hesitation when he noticed the door to his study was cracked open. Pushing the door open completely, he was slightly surprised to see a large stack of reports sitting in the middle of his desk and Katerina Alambiel sitting quietly in the chair in the corner. "Sepphora, you are here rather late or perhaps I should say you are here rather early."

She shrugged a little before she stood, "I had wanted to talk to you once you finished reading the reports...and I'm not having much success sleeping tonight. And, are you going to call me Sepphora all day?"

He smirked as he lit a candle and began reading her report, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Are you certain you only wanted to talk after I finished reading?"

He glanced up in time to see her roll her eyes, "I told them to keep their mouths shut save for writing up their reports."

"Alaois was not given a choice in the matter."

She slanted him a slight teasing glance, "Pulling the "I'm the General, you must tell me" card is cheating, Oreius."

He shook his head, "No. Cheating is what you do when we play chess. What I require of soldiers and, especially officers, are thorough reports...it is part of being in the military if you recall."

Katerina Alambiel rolled her eyes but it was only half-hearted compared to her usual antics, "So you repeatedly inform me."

After that, she fell silent and merely closed her eyes as she shifted to curl up in the chair...waiting as he continued reading her reports. Oreius frowned slightly as he read the portion of her report concerning Redhaven, "Alambiel." He waited until she opened her eyes and met his gaze before continuing, "How bad was it?"

A shadow flickered through her eyes, which told him a great deal before she finally answered, "It was very, very bad, Oreius. What those men were doing to children..." Katerina Alambiel trailed off then suddenly leapt to her feet and began pacing in front of his desk as she continued in a furious low tone that was just above a whisper. "No. What those _monsters_ were doing to helpless children was despicable. And the governing body ignored...no, allowed by turning a blind eye to the fact that children were being sold into the worst type of slavery possible. No one really wants to see children in an orphanage but that doesn't mean they are all bad...it is better than being on the streets and sometimes it is like being part of a very large extended family, but what was going on in Redhaven..." She shook her head, "I plan to speak with the Four later this morn, but-"

A short knock drew their attention and Oreius raised an eyebrow at Stonebrook's presence. The Centaur elder looked grave, "The council has been convened."

Oreius exchanged a look with Katerina Alambiel before turning back at Stonebrook, "An emergency?"

"No."

Katerina Alambiel shook her head, "The sun hasn't even risen, why would the council be summoned if there isn't an emergency?"

"Alambiel, your actions at Redhaven are being called into question." Stonebrook gave her a rather exasperated look, "Is it truly so difficult for you to conduct business in ways that do _not_ cause _someone_ to question your actions, little one?"

She merely shrugged, "It's not as though I do it on purpose, Stonebrook." Oreius exchanged a look with Stonebrook and he could already tell that the council meeting would be a long one. Katerina Alambiel might have given the few council members who refused to adjust to her less than orthodox manner of doing things the means to justify calling for her removal from any position of authority. This was going to be a long meeting...but it certainly wouldn't be a dull one.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Short chapter this time, but the next chapter should more than make up for it. Leave a review and let me know what y'all think is going to happen between Kat and the council.**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Eleven**

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Katerina barely kept her temper in check as she listened to the Faun Nausus speaking about why she was clearly detrimental to Narnian alliances, both with other sovereign countries and with territories. He never once looked at her though as he addressed the Four and the rest of the council. "With respect to your majesties and those of the council who have chosen in the past to support the grant of a rather large amount of authority to the Lady Katerina, her actions at Terebinthia and, more specifically, at Redhaven call into question whether she can be trusted to act within the law. While her authority in a military capacity is clearly under the sole supervision of the General and your majesties, her actions when she is supposedly serving in the capacity as ambassador and representative of Cair Paravel need to be addressed. She not only pushed a trial of a Redhaven merchant and his associates and upheld the ruling of their execution, but she also razed a building that happened to be in a place where it could be seen by most of the capital and also by the port. What is most concerning is the fact that she did all of these actions without alerting your majesties and the council so that a unified decision might be reached concerning the appropriate fate of the parties detained by the soldiers under Dame Sepphora's command and confirmed reports of the situation these men were said to be participating in. As the situation stands, her actions might have recklessly endangered Narnia's ties with one of her oldest territories by making Cair Paravel seem overly harsh or even unnecessarily ruthless. This overly aggressive interference in the local government raises questions as to what else she might do if she continues to maintain a high level of authority, whether she is part of a diplomatic party or not. Therefore, I move for Dame Katerina Alambiel Sepphora to be at the very least suspended from participating in any activities, apart from those of a military origin, where she would be in a position of authority until all questionable actions have been examined and explained to the utmost satisfaction of your majesties and the council."

The Faun sat and Edmund looked at her, "As We have heard the argument for Katerina Alambiel's suspension from her duties, We call upon her to speak in her own defense."

Katerina stood from her seat and allowed herself to meet Oreius' steady gaze first before sweeping her gaze over the rest of the room, ending with Nausus. She looked back at the Four as she began, "Majesties, it was by your order I went to Redhaven in the capacity as ambassador and the official representative of the Four thrones of Cair Paravel. When I arrived, I heard tale of orphanages and given the less than ideal conditions of some of the orphanages I had already seen on Terebinthia, I decided it was necessary to inspect the orphanages of Redhaven."

Nausus fidgeted in his chair, "This we already know. You then proceeded to recklessly and needlessly raze one of these orphanages to the ground while persecuting a very successful and upstanding Redhaven merchant and his associates to the point you had them all executed."

Edmund abruptly slammed his gavel against the arm of his throne, "Be silent! Faun Nausus, the opportunity will be provided for further questions. However, until the aforementioned opportunity arises, We order thee to keep thy tongue behind thy teeth." Edmund glared at all the occupants of the room, "Katerina Alambiel has the floor and there shall be no further interruptions until she has finished speaking."

Katerina inclined her head slightly to the Just King then continued, "I do not know where Nausus received his accounting of the events in Redhaven, but he has been misinformed. The man called Fyren was a merchant, yes, and he was very successful, yes, but no one in their right mind and of truthful character would call one such as him upstanding." Katerina paused in order to force her fury and horror of what she had seen back down, and then continued in a serious tone. "I am aware that Narnia herself is so blessed as to have no need or use for orphanages. However, that is not the case for all countries, not even the Narnian territory of the Lone Islands. Orphanages are meant to shelter and care for children who have no one else to look after them until they are of age or, preferably and ideally, until they are adopted. The so-called orphanage run by this Fyren was no such place. It was pretty enough on the outside, to be sure, but inside...on the inside it was the stuff of nightmares."

She didn't bother to hide the fury any longer as she allowed the memory of _that place_ to rise, "The building was naught but a haven for vile monsters like Fyren and his associates to sell children into the worst kind of slavery possible. This place was supposed to be a shelter for children, both Lone Islander and the survivors of shipwrecks. But it was nothing of the sort. It was a shelter where any vile customer who could pay Fyren's fee would be allowed to torment and exploit and despoil children. Helpless children...there is not one of you on this council who does not have some sort of tie with children, whether your own or grandchildren or nieces and nephews or siblings or cousins or students. Can you stand here before Aslan and say that a man who exploited defenseless innocents was an upstanding member of the community?"

Katerina paused just long enough to let her question make an impression before she pressed on. "It was mentioned that I should have allowed the governing body of the Lone Islands to handle the situation after alerting them to the situation. That was not an option. The governing body knew of what was truly happening in that so-called orphanage, but instead of putting a stop to it, they merely turned a blind eye to it all because Fyren and his associates brought in business. Those who should have been protecting the orphans, instead grew fat on the profits that came from leaving those children defenseless and vulnerable. After learning that nearly all of the governing body either ignored or in three cases participated in the continued exploitation of innocents, I decided the situation warranted my full attention in my capacity as knight, as ambassador, and as the representative of Cair Paravel. And I chose to come down on them as was warranted. We are all well aware of the Fell and we do not hesitate to put an end to them. People like Fyren and his associates and his customers are also Fell. Do not attempt to tell me otherwise, for if their hearts are Fell and their actions too are Fell, shall we not call them what they are? Fell."

She finally stopped talking and, with only a perfunctory glance at Edmund, Nausus immediately questioned, "No matter the nature of this Fyren and his associates, Lady Katerina, the fact remains that you should have sent word to Cair Paravel and waited for the decision of their majesties and this council as to the appropriate course of action as tradition dictates."

Her patience with the belligerent Nausus reached its limit and she sarcastically countered, "And, what was I supposed to do in the interim? Oh, I know. I should have sent them a strongly worded letter." She continued before Nausus could respond, "The details of my orders can be found in the reports of Lieutenants Alaois and Lonn as well as in my own report, all of which have been turned over and examined by General Oreius. However, to surmise, once I determined the situation with the local government, I issued orders for a raid to be conducted against Fyren's so-called orphanage with the two-fold goal of rescuing those children and capturing Fyren and as many of his associates as possible. After the trial and execution of Fyren and his associates, I ordered the building razed. Fyren chose that building because it could be seen by most of the capital as well as from port, where so many of his foul customers would dock. And, since I was unable to capture every last one of Fyren's associates or his customers, I made an example that could be seen from port. The message was simple and it was clear. My actions were indeed harsh and swift, but this was not a time or situation where ambiguous, lenient, or protracted actions could be afforded. And, while I may have broken tradition, tradition is not law, and every single decision I made, every action I took falls within the parameters of the laws of Narnia."

Nausus looked stubborn, "Even the execution you ordered?"

Katerina narrowed her eyes, "I did not order their execution. That would be stepping outside the bounds of my authority. What I did was push for Fyren and his associates to be brought up for trial as soon as possible, so the filth would have no chance to bribe anyone into allowing him to escape. I spoke at the trial because I was the leader of the raid. Lonn and Alaois also spoke as did the healers from both our party and Redhaven. I had no part in sentencing until the time came that the court decided Fyren and his associates were to be executed, and as the ambassador and representative of the Four, I approved the court's decision. I have done nothing that I would not do again if faced with the same situation and the same choices."

Nausus scowled at her, and then a sudden gleam of satisfaction appeared in his eyes as he questioned. "Not even your decision to keep their majesties in the dark as to your activities by not telling them when you first returned to the Cair of the incident in Redhaven and then ordering the officers who accompanied you to keep their mouths shut?"

Katerina didn't even blink as she smoothly countered. "Faun Nausus, I did not immediately spring this unpleasant development upon the Four because I thought it wise for the reports to be written so it would not all be hearsay. It was actually my intention to speak with the Four privately about the matter this morn, which is no longer necessary thanks to this impromptu pre-dawn gathering. As far as my instructions to Lonn and Alaois are concerned, what I ordered them to do was to fill out the reports for Oreius and then to remain silent on what had occurred until I had the chance to speak with the Four."

Edmund held up his hand for silence before Nausus or the other two council members could decry her as a witch, which Katerina couldn't help but think was a good thing as she reclaimed her seat. "As Katerina Alambiel pointed out, she broke a tradition, not a law, and she has not to Our determination crossed outside of her rights We have granted her as ambassador and representative of the Four of Us. There is no doubt in Our minds that Our dear friend the Dame Katerina Alambiel Sepphora is most unorthodox in her methods. However, being unorthodox and flaunting tradition for the sake of seeing justice done does not bespeak of sight cast too high nor betrayal awaiting the right moment. For are we not to seek justice, reprove the ruthless, and defend the orphan? That is what Dame Katerina Alambiel Sepphora has done in line with her oath as a knight and her tasks as an ambassador and representative of Cair Paravel. It is also clear to Us that the letter sent to Nausus complaining against Katerina Alambiel's actions was meant to be a device to discredit her testimony ere We heard it as it is well known among circles which of Our council is amicable with Katerina Alambiel and which has yet to let go of old and unfounded accusations. We shall deal with the governing body of the Lone Islands at the next opportunity. Now, if there are no other matters for this council... Very well, We hereby dismiss the council."

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Peridan felt Marsalla tremble as a Faun from the Royals' council passed them in the gardens grumbling to a Satyr, "It wouldn't surprise me if we one day discovered the Lady Katerina did indeed bespell them otherwise she wouldn't have escaped without punishment for her actions."

He laid a hand over his wife's trembling one, "Do not be afraid. I won't let you or the children come to harm."

Marsalla leaned against his arm, "I pray you are right, but we must not let the children near her." Peridan nodded, not mentioning Marsalla's request could be considered unachievable. But he would find a way to keep them all away from the Lady Katerina until he was certain as to her true character...

He rubbed his thumb over Marsalla's hand as he guided her down a different garden path, "You should know, O queen of my heart, that General Oreius intends to introduce me to this mysterious Dame Sepphora of his tomorrow. My understanding is that she is not an archer unlike most of the Centauresses in the army." As his wife slowly began to relax again, Peridan couldn't help wondering if perhaps Dame Sepphora would be able to give him insight as to the truth of the rumors surrounding Lady Katerina, the Strega of Narnia.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so hopefully this chapter lived up to your expectations. It was a bear to write this time. Next chapter should be lighter and then Peridan will soon learn that Kat and Sepphora are one and the same...any guesses as to how that will go over? Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Twelve**

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13 Mayblossom 1006

Stonebrook clapped Oreius on the shoulder and chuckled, "Alambiel certainly knows how to keep us all practicing constant vigilance, does she not?"

Oreius smirked, "And she does it well."

They walked further away from the council room, though Oreius could still make out King Edmund grumbling about being pulled out of bed too early, but even as he absently adjusted the morn's training regimen, Stonebrook spoke again. "I noticed Alambiel did not head for the training yards."

"No, I ordered her to take today to herself since she confessed to not sleeping last night...I also forbid Dame Sepphora from so much as entering the armory much less the training yards until Firstday. For once, she didn't offer even a token argument...probably too weary from the stress of dealing with the situation she found in Redhaven and dealing with Nausus and his allies' accusations, not that she would ever admit to such a thing...too busy being her typical stubborn self." He barely noticed Stonebrook's amused expression as he caught sight of Katerina Alambiel talking to Queen Lucy as they walked across the hall ahead of them. His tail swished against his flank as he watched Alambiel shake her head, clearly begging off whatever Queen Lucy's request was, before she disappeared down the corridor that led to her quarters. As they resumed walking, he muttered, "I need to remind Ardon and Cletus to let the other officers know they should be on alert for Sepphora's pranks. She gave in almost too easily, now that I think about it."

Stonebrook chuckled, "Stubborn young ones." The Centaur elder went his own way before Oreius could enquire as to his exact meaning. Oreius dismissed it as something that did not require his attention as he exited the main palace and trotted toward the training yards and his waiting students.

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As soon as he returned to his study that afternoon, Oreius knew that Katerina Alambiel had been informed of at least one incident involving Peridan's sons. He glared at the item sitting in the middle of his desk and growled, "Sepphora."

"Cyneward." He turned as she came around the other side of the door and grinned at him as she rocked on her heels, "Well, that was fun." He had to work to keep his glower in place as he watched her cast him another mischievous glance as she moved a stack of reports before she perched herself on the edge of his desk. Some things would never change. She picked up the plate and examined the large slice of cake it held, "What do you call a Centaur who's had a strawberry cake with pink icing mashed on him?"

"Unamused."

Katerina Alambiel threw her head back and laughed. "Well, I was just going to call him Oreius. But, I like your label better." Oreius watched as she picked up one of the two forks on the plate and ate a bite of the cake, "Personally, I prefer chocolate, but this isn't half bad. Actually, it's pretty good. You should try some." She held the plate out to him and snickered at the disdainful look he graced it with, "Oh come on, surely the great General Sir Oreius Cyneward of Narnia isn't afraid of a harmless little slice of cake...with pink icing."

The mischievous glint of laughter in her blue eyes warned him that Katerina Alambiel would never let him live it down if he refused to meet her challenge. But, he wasn't going to give in immediately...no need to provide her with any encouragement to be _even_ more cheeky than she was already. He folded his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow, "Who told you?"

She gave him an amused look as she took another bite of the cake before answering, "Shesheta told me that the little Scátháin I met yesterday had smashed into every officer in the Cair and they mashed a cake on you. And, then I got the full, unabridged story from Lucy. I can't believe I missed seeing you splattered with strawberry cake and pink icing!"

He snorted, "I don't doubt you would have laughed at me had you been present, Sepphora. And, your little mirrors, as you call them, will not be getting another chance to cause such an incident again." He hoped.

Katerina Alambiel merely responded by once again holding out the plate. He shook his head slightly, but picked up the second fork and took a bite from the opposite end of the cake slice. Then, in order to win the challenge she had issued, Oreius took two more bites before setting the fork down. She snickered and set her own fork down, "So, the solarium at eighth hour?"

Oreius nodded, "I'll be there." He waited a beat, and then continued, "Now, get off my desk." She rolled her eyes then yelped in surprise when he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off his desk although he took care to set her down gently enough that she didn't lose either the cake or the cutlery. He gave her a slight push toward the door, "Go pester someone else for a little bit, Sepphora. I have work to do."

She laughed as she walked out the door, "All right, all right, I can tell when I'm wanted anywhere else but here. Until later, Kentauri."

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Katerina felt a sense of normalcy finally settle over her as she watched Oreius pour wine into two goblets. It was good to be able to resume their tradition of having these Sixthday talks. Accepting the goblet, she waited only until Oreius had settled himself across from her before she asked the question that had been following her for weeks. "Do you think I did the right thing?"

Oreius met her gaze and held it. "Yes."

She smiled in silent thanks before taking a drink. "I don't understand why Nausus and the others with him refused to see the truth of the matter."

The Kentauri looked at her for a moment and then stated, "They can't handle the truth."

She had to hide a smile at his emphatic declaration. Instead, she raised her goblet in salute, "Well, at least I knew enough to leave sorting out the nobles and their fates to the Four."

Oreius chuckled as he raised his own goblet, "Thank the Lion for that, otherwise you truly would have landed in more trouble than even you could handle."

She smirked, but didn't challenge the assessment since she actually shared it. Their conversation moved to discussing what she had done with the orphans she had rescued. But, during the next lull, Katerina couldn't resist the temptation to tease him a little more. "Can I have a catapult?"

Oreius didn't even blink as he responded with a resolute "No."

Katerina barely hid her amusement as she protested, "Oh come on. I've wanted one for years. Why do you always say no to the catapult?"

"Because you have no concept of what the proper use of a catapult is, which is why I am keeping any catapult as far from you as is possible."

She feigned a scowl, "Why do you have to be such a stick in the mud, Kentauri?"

Oreius raised an eyebrow, "I'm not."

"No, you're not." She took advantage of his surprise at her agreement to quip, "You're a log...in bedrock." They stared at each other in silence for a moment, then two, and then they burst into laughter before continuing their conversation, which now had a distinctly teasing tone as Katerina once again attempted to coax Oreius into allowing her to get a catapult...and as per usual was refused with more reasons than she thought warranted.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so a nice fun chapter before things get interesting and complicated again. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Thirteen**

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14 Mayblossom 1006

"You should be meeting with the General."

Peridan looked up and smiled at Marsalla, "No, I'm where I'm needed most right now. The General will understand." Marsalla looked skeptical but Peridan was certain the General wouldn't begrudge him one missed unofficial meeting if he knew Marsalla had been too ill to move starting the night before and then Maisee had been fussy all night as well. He fought back a yawn as he resumed pacing while rubbing Maisee's back as his youngest finally slept. "I already sent a message excusing myself, Marsalla."

Marsalla shifted against the pillows, "Did the General ever tell you why he wanted to introduce you to Dame Sepphora?"

Peridan cautiously stopped pacing and sat on the edge of their bed, silently thanking Aslan when Maisee remained asleep even though he had stopped moving, "No, but I believe she's an officer who's usually attached to the Queens, so it would make sense that he expect me to meet her and work with her as well."

"Are you certain she's just another officer?"

Peridan smiled then stood slowly, "Marsalla, maybe I should just invite the General here and he can tell you about this Dame Sepphora of his, so your curiosity may be satisfied." His wife smiled back at him, but simply shook her head. He squeezed her hand gently then carried Maisee into the nursery and placed her in her crib. It only took a few moments, but Marsalla was asleep again by the time he returned to their bedroom. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before silently making his way from the room.

Moving to a different room, Peridan swung the door open and was instantly greeted by joyous shouts, "Father!" Thane and Shane rushed him and immediately wrapped their small bodies around his legs as they chattered excitedly, words running on top of each other to the point Peridan wasn't sure what his sons were actually trying to tell him.

He chuckled and feigned a groan as he staggered forward, "Ah, what treachery is this? My own sons seek to overwhelm me!" Thane and Shane giggled as they continued to cling to his legs. Peridan noticed Tarrin sitting on the window seat, watching closely, and dramatically raised one hand, "Ah my eldest! Aid your father! I have been assailed by two most terrible foes!"

Tarrin smirked as Thane and Shane giggled even harder, "Father, you have not yet met your match."

Peridan hid a grin, "No, my son, for with your help I shall prevail."

Tarrin stood then a mischievous gleam appeared in his brown eyes, "Alas, Father, you have placed your trust wrongly. For I set these two fiends upon you! And, now I shall aid them!"

Tarrin jumped at Peridan, knocking him off his feet, much to Thane and Shane's delight. The twins detached themselves from his legs and joined Tarrin in attempting to pin him down. Peridan laughed and wrestled with his sons. Every time he pinned Thane and Shane, Tarrin would leap on his back allowing the twins to escape. And, when he managed to pin Tarrin, Thane and Shane jumped on him and worked together to cover his eyes, giggling all the while. Only when Thane and Shane were starting to lag did Peridan give up, allowing all three of his sons to pile on to his back, pinning him face down against the rug.

A slight sound made him look up and he grinned at Becky. The maid shook her head, but she had been with their family since Peridan was Tarrin's age so she merely continued with her task, "Master Peridan, a carrier has winged his way here and the message is fer ye."

Peridan nodded as best as he was able with his chin less than an inch off the rug, "Thank you, Becky. Tarrin will help you with Thane and Shane." He got up with a groan as the twins and Tarrin slid off his back. "You three behave yourselves. Tarrin, do you know where Raisa is?"

"Library."

"Ah. Good, good."

Peridan raised an eyebrow as he flipped the message over and noted it carried a Sisemaalian royal seal.

_Saluti Peridan,_

_Perdonami for sending this missive with the royal seal, but it is necessary. His majesty, King Jukka, has sent an envoy to Narnia, they should be arriving soon after you receive this missive. Given the circumstances of the last envoy's visit to Narnia under Duke Toomas, I ask a favor of you..._

Peridan shook his head in silent amazement at the favor Marsalla's uncle Teppo asked of him. Normally, he would politely refuse, but...this time he found the favor ran parallel with his own purposes.

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"It is getting late, young one. Should you not join your family for supper?"

Raisa looked up in surprise, meeting Stonebrook's amused gaze. "Is it suppertime already? I didn't think it had been so long. Mother will be worried if I don't go now." She jumped to her feet then paused and asked rather shyly, "May I take this book with me, please? I promise I'll take care of it."

Stonebrook rubbed his chin then nodded, "I don't see any harm in it, Raisa."

Raisa threw her arms around the Centaur's waist with a squeal of delight, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The Centaur chuckled as she pulled away then scooped up the book. Clasping it tightly to herself, Raisa was already planning how to keep the book safe from the twins when Stonebrook called out, "Give my greetings to your parents." She forced herself to stop and curtsy then she waved as she ran out of the library. She could hardly believe it. Raisa clutched the book a little tighter as she knew that she wouldn't have been allowed to take a book from the royal library at Anvard to her family's quarters. She loved living in Cair Paravel!

She ran as fast as she could down the halls, only slowing when she had to wait for other people to clear a path for her. Her steps slowed though as she recalled her mother's words about a lady not rushing about like a fox whose tail's caught a-fire. She had just turned down one of the halls that led to a shortcut toward the hall her family's quarters were located when she heard it. Musical, but foreign, soft, and very different from Sisemaalian. Raisa once again tightened her grip on the book as she edged toward the cracked door the strange muttering was coming from. Her eyes widened as she saw a tall woman with white and gold hair mixing something together and then pouring a purplish liquid into a vial as she muttered, "Cén fáth nach bhfuil sé iontas ar bith orm go bhfuil mé ag teastáil láithreach a mheascadh suas bhaisc nua leighis réitigh i láthair na huaire a rachfaí abhaile? Níl a fhios agam. Oh fan, Is cuimhin liom Cheap mé go raibh na buachaillí amaideach fanacht ar an mbóthar fada go leor nuair a ní ba mhaith liom a imirt ar lia éigeandála. Amaideach dom. Is é sin go soiléir i bhfad ró a iarraidh acu..."

Witch! Raisa carefully backed away from the door, praying to Aslan that the witch wouldn't hear her heart racing. It felt like hours before she reached the end of the hall, and she kept shooting glances over her shoulder in fear that she would be caught. She rounded the corner then cautiously peeked around but the witch didn't appear. She took a deep breath then raced down the hall as if she _was_ a fox whose tail had caught a-fire. She had to tell her father!

Raisa raced into the hall and crashed right into her father as he was coming out of Tarrin's room. She would have fallen if he hadn't caught her, but she didn't care. "Father!"

She was panting as her father dropped to his knees in front of her, "Raisa! What is it? What's wrong?"

"I saw- I saw- I saw- a str-strega!"

Her father's eyes widened, but his voice was calm and steady as he gently scooped her up, uncaring that she was ten and almost too big for him to do so. "Breathe, daughter, breathe. Slow down so you can tell me everything, all right?" She nodded, trying to slow her breathing as she still clutched the book to her. Her father carried her into the parlor and set her down on the window seat before he poured her a glass of water. Raisa tried not to gulp the water, but wasn't as successful as she thought she ought to be. "All right, Raisa, tell me what you saw."

"A strega, Father! I- I saw a strega here in Cair Paravel. She was mixing a potion while muttering a spell! Just like Aunt Bellissa said they do! And, I read a book that said the same thing. And, what are we going to do? Father! She didn't see me, I don't think. But, she might know I saw her and Aunt Bellissa said that stregas do terrible things to those who spy on them. And, I-"

"Raisa. Raisa!" Her father scooped her into a tight hug again, "Hush, Chiacchere, it's all right. Listen to me, you're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you, strega or not, I promise. Now, describe the strega to me."

"She was really tall. Her hair was pinned up, and it was golden except for the front, which had white streaks. And she was muttering these strange words. Do you know her, Father?"

Her father frowned, "The description is familiar, Raisa, but I will take care of it. I'm going to talk to the General about this woman and find out who she really is. Now, let's go eat dinner with your brothers and mother. Oh, and Raisa, don't tell your mother about what you saw. I will tell her when she's feeling better."

Raisa nodded, trusting her father would be able to keep the strega away.

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15 Mayblossom 1006

Peridan hadn't put much stock in the rumors surrounding Lady Katerina, called the Strega of Narnia in certain circles among Archenland and Sisemaal. However, Raisa's panic yesterday had not been feigned and his daughter, though she could talk the ears off a statue, Aslan bless her, was not a liar. She had seen something that sounded suspicious to Peridan, especially since Lady Katerina was muttering in a strange tongue. As soon as he had the opportunity, he would request a private meeting with General Oreius and the mysterious Dame Sepphora. He hoped they would be able to give him the information he needed to determine whether Lady Katerina was a possible threat to his family's safety or not.

Rounding the corner to the armory, Peridan slowed as he heard a feminine voice mixed with the familiar voices of the General and the High King. He slipped into the armory and was greeted by the sight of Lady Katerina standing boldly in front of the General and the High King as she continued speaking, "No, Oreius, what I'm saying is that clearly you could use a little advice, shall we say, on what exactly is a challenging lesson. I mean I could get better results than you do...in one training session, by the way."

The General glared at the woman...or perhaps strega...but it was the High King who spoke up, "Now, Kat, I don't think it's-"

Peridan clenched the hilt of his sword as Lady Katerina cut the High King off, "Quiet, Peter, you aren't allowed to have an opinion on this one." Such blatant disrespect! The High King crossed his arms and gave her an annoyed look, but she continued to ignore him and all protocol as she _taunted_ the General further. "I mean really, Oreius, I'm quite certain that after one lesson with me, even you, the solemn, doesn't-have-a-normal-sense-of-humor, far too paranoid for his own good Kentauri, would have to admit I do a better job of training them."

The General suddenly looked up and met Peridan's gaze before he looked back down at the woman. "Behave."

Peridan watched as Lady Katerina tilted her head slightly before she turned around. He didn't look away as he met her questioning gaze until the High King inclined his head, "Good morn, Peridan."

He met his sovereign's gaze and bowed slightly, "Good morning, Sir Wolfsbane." He still felt slightly odd using the High King's knightly title instead of royal but that was the rule of the armory and the training grounds until the Kings had been dismissed from their lessons. He bowed slightly to the General as he included him in his greeting, "General Oreius."

He glanced around the armory, spotting Tarrin with King Edmund sitting on a bench as they listened to Captain Cletus, but he didn't see anyone else and certainly not a Centauress. His gaze snapped back to General Oreius as the Centaur returned his greeting, "Good morn, Peridan. I should like to introduce you to the only knight of Narnia you've not had the chance to meet or work with, Dame Sepphora. Dame Sepphora, Peridan."

Only the discipline of years of experience hiding his emotions allowed Peridan to hide his utter shock when he realized it was Lady Katerina whom the General referred to as Dame Sepphora. Still, he managed to incline his head and utter the appropriate words of greeting. Lady Katerina, or Dame Sepphora, didn't incline her head. Instead, she smirked a little, "Pleasure." Then, without awaiting dismissal by her superiors, she turned and walked out of the armory.

The General showed no visible reaction, but the High King shook his head in obvious exasperation over Lady- Dame Sepphora's actions. Peridan allowed the others to follow her ahead of him. _Dear Lion, how am I to address my concerns to the General over the actions of Lady Katerina when she is Dame Sepphora? And, he obviously expects me to work with her as I have worked with all the others..._ Peridan gave himself a mental shake then walked out into the training yard. It was of no matter in the long run. It meant only that he would not be going to Dame Sepphora for information about Lady Katerina.

By the time training ended, Peridan was silently fuming. That woman showed absolutely no respect for her superiors, not the Kings, not the General, not Captain Cletus. He watched as she again taunted the General, and then, just as she had with Queen Lucy, she continually addressed the Kings without using their titles even once. And, when the General ordered her to attend to her assigned duties, she actually stuck her tongue out at him! He heard King Edmund mention to Tarrin that she had only just returned, perhaps that was the reason none of them had called her out on her outrageously disrespectful behavior. As Peridan walked back toward the palace, he decided to wait a little longer before going to the General. Perhaps she was not always so disrespectful and uncaring for the proper protocol.

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19 Mayblossom 1006

"I don't think Peridan likes me."

Katerina watched as Oreius looked up from his paperwork and gave her an amused look, "What makes you say that, Alambiel?"

She could hardly believe her ears, "Look, I know you like him and he's been earning your trust. But, Oreius, have you not noticed the way he glares at me when I talk to you or the Four or even any of the officers?"

He sighed, "Yes, I noticed. However, I believe it is merely the fact that he is unused to your…preferred way of doing things...which is why you two are on duty together tomorrow."

Katerina made a face, "Must I? He's so...so by-the-book and completely hung up on proper protocol. You know the ones who are always so proper and protocol this and protocol that do not mesh well with me. I always feel compelled to do something outrageous, well, more outrageous when in their company."

Oreius shook his head as he came around his desk and tilted her chin up, "Then, you shall simply have to be charming and ignore the outrageous impulses this time, which I know you can do when you choose to do so. And, Sepphora, you will do so."

She rolled her eyes, "No promises, but I'll try to ignore the impulses and I suppose I can pretend to be charming for a few hours."

Oreius chuckled as she headed for the door, and then called out just as she left his study, "Be nice, Sepphora."

She waved her hand in acknowledgement even as she muttered under her breath, "No promises."

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so who thinks that Kat and Peridan being assigned together is going to end in disaster? Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**

**What Kat actually said when Raisa heard her:**

**"Why does it not surprise me that I am immediately required to mix up a new batch of healing solutions the moment I get home? Don't know. Oh wait, I remember I thought those silly boys could stay out of trouble long enough where I wouldn't have to play emergency healer. Silly me. That is clearly too much to ask of them..."**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Fourteen**

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20 Mayblossom 1006

Marsalla opened her eyes as she felt Peridan gently brush a kiss against her forehead, "Who are you working with today?"

He kissed her again, "The General has assigned me to work with Dame Sepphora today. Go back to sleep."

Marsalla frowned a little, "But, you didn't tell me what she was like yesterday."

Her protest seemed to come too late as Peridan was already standing, pausing only to kiss her hand and then pull the covers up to her neck, "We can talk about it all later when you are feeling better, my Tesoro." She watched Peridan quietly summon one of the maids to come sit with her before leaving. She sighed, knowing he was trying to make sure she regained her strength, but still wishing he had been able to talk to her. She looked over at her maid, "Abree, help me get dressed please. And then we shall go check on my piccolla dolcezza before breakfast, non?"

Abree smiled widely as she bustled over to make sure Marsalla was steady as she climbed out of bed, chattering excitedly in Sisemaalian at Marsalla's show of strength. Marsalla prayed to the Great Emperor and His son, Aslan, that her strength would last long enough for her to be able to talk to Peridan. She wanted to hear what Dame Sepphora was like and whether her suspicions about the Centauress and the General were true.

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Peridan watched Dame Sepphora warily as they walked through the corridors of Cair Paravel. She claimed that it was a shortcut to their assigned stations with the Queens in one of the lower gardens. He was not certain whether she could be believed or not. From the conversation she had had with the Kings, wherein she called them by their names and not by any title throughout, Peridan had gathered that she was known for playing pranks on people.

Dame Sepphora glanced over her shoulder at him, "Are you always this suspicious of people, Lord Peridan? I mean you might actually be worse than the Kentauri."

Peridan didn't answer as he struggled to keep from pointing that she invited suspicion with her refusal to show proper respect to her superiors, not to mention she refused to follow proper protocol. Instead, he reminded himself that her one merit seemed to be that she was as blatantly disrespectful to the General, in particular, in person as she was behind his back. It wasn't much of a merit. He finally found a reply that he hoped would satisfy her enough that she did not become an enemy, but a large group of people cut across the corridor just in front of them before he could say a word.

Dame Sepphora froze in her tracks, letting Peridan take several steps past her before he too stopped. He looked from her to the group, who had also halted. He blinked in slight surprise that it was obviously the Sisemaalian party Marsalla's Uncle Teppo had asked him to aid. He hadn't thought they would be in Narnia, much less Cair Paravel, for another week. He inclined his head respectfully as Duke Toomas pushed through his men and the Narnians accompanying them, including King Edmund who looked somewhat ill at ease. Duke Toomas bowed his head to him and then stretched his arms wide, "Dame Sepphora! Come, come, and you are bella come sempre!" _(...beautiful as always.) _He waited until Dame Sepphora had stepped forward and allowed him to take her hands and then he tugged her toward the waiting group, "Come, come, let me introduce you." Duke Toomas waved a young man forward, "Dame Sepphora, this is my nephew, Count Antti." The young man bowed and Dame Sepphora gave the slightest incline of her head. Duke Toomas seemed unperturbed as he clasped her right hand between both of his hands, "You will join us for dinner tonight, non?"

Dame Sepphora answered in a soft voice, "Of course, Duke Toomas. I must beg leave of you now, though, I've other matters to attend to before I may enjoy your company."

Duke Toomas bowed over her hand and she curtsied even as he nodded, "Perdonami, I did not mean to take you from your duties. I look forward to tonight's conversation."

Dame Sepphora nodded in silent reply, waiting as the group of Sisemaalians and their escort resumed their journey to the guest quarters, and then she turned and walked past Peridan. He watched in disbelief as the lady knight blatantly defied the orders for her assigned duties. Peridan chose not to go after her, after all it was not his place to corral a rebellious knight, and instead he found his way to the assigned post. The Queens hadn't noticed his arrival, but General Oreius had and motioned for Peridan to join him where he was unobtrusively keeping watch over the Queens whilst standing in the shade of two large trees. "Where is Dame Sepphora?"

Peridan took care to keep his disapproval out of his voice as he replied, "I do not know, General. Dame Sepphora…left…me after we encountered the Sisemaalian delegation. I have not seen her since."

He thought the General might have stiffened, but he was probably wrong as the General maintained his impassive and serious look as he stated, "I will see to Dame Sepphora. Remain here and report to Captain Cletus for instructions when the Queens leave."

Peridan gave a curt nod, silently musing that it would perhaps curtail some of Dame Sepphora's disrespect and blatant disregard of proper protocol to be taken to task by the General. He sighed as he turned back to watch the Queens. He still had to figure out what to tell Marsalla about Dame Sepphora...

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Katerina couldn't breathe. She barely kept herself from screaming and running as far and as fast as she could away from him. _Leering black eyes, hands tugging at her. No! _Katerina hurried into an unoccupied room and shut the doors behind her. She closed her eyes and whispered, "It's not real. He's dead. They're both dead."

_Dead black eyes watching her with a predatory hunger...waiting...leering...knife by her hand...the touches that made her want to cringe but her body wasn't obeying..._ She clapped a hand over her mouth as she sank to the floor. "Not them, he looks like them but he is not them." Now if only her body would believe what she was telling herself. She started rocking back and forth with her arms wrapped around her torso as she fought against the panic attack that was threatening to sweep over her.

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Oreius quickened his pace as much as he dared. He needed to find Alambiel and make sure she was all right. The Sisemaalian delegation was over a week early... Why did they have to come before they had been able to send Katerina Alambiel with Tuulea on a trip away from the Cair? He paused mid-step when he heard a soft sound of distress from one of the rooms. He opened the door and his heart sank at the sight of Katerina Alambiel kneeling in the middle of the floor, rocking as she obviously struggled against a panic attack.

He quickly stepped inside and locked the door to make sure no one else saw because it would devastate Alambiel if anyone saw her losing control of her mask this way. Oreius walked over to her, "Alambiel?" He almost sighed in relief when she turned her head to look at him. Thank Aslan, she was not caught in her past this time. He had found her quickly enough. Then he carefully knelt on the floor and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest, rocking in time with her. "Alambiel, shh, it's all right. I promise he is dead. I promise both of them are dead. I made sure of it, remember? Shh, calm down, breathe. Alambiel, breathe. Slowly, that's it."

He didn't let go until she finally stopped rocking and he heard her take several steady breaths. Alambiel turned to face him and gave him a slightly embarrassed look, "I'm sorry, Kentauri. I just... The new count looks so alike to his brother and cousin, that it..." She started to look distressed again as she gasped slightly, "I- It was unexpected, but I'm okay now. I can handle this, I can, I just need a little time to, uh, to..."

"To freshen up?"

Alambiel nodded, "Yes, freshen up. I just need to freshen up and then I will be prepared to join the dinner tonight as Duke Toomas expects."

Oreius caught her hand, which was trembling ever so slightly, and lightly grasped it, trying to give her something other than her memories to focus on. "Alambiel, as your friend and shield, I am telling you that you do not have to go tonight. You are already distressed by the memories Duke Toomas' nephew stirred up. Do not torment yourself unnecessarily."

She drew herself up stubbornly and, watching him with an obstinate determination that nearly masked the terror in her eyes, declared, "I am going tonight. I was personally invited by Duke Toomas and I am not allowed to be rude to the diplomats, remember? I'll be fine, Oreius, I will. Just watch and see." Her vulnerability still showed though as she hesitated, "I can count on you being present, right?"

Oreius gave a curt nod, "How else am I to be your shield?" He was pleased when his comment coaxed a small smile from her. Rising to his feet, he pulled her up with him and silently wiped a few stray tears away. She gave him a grateful look when he did not protest further about her joining the dinner with the Sisemaalians. And, he inclined his head. By now, he knew that Alambiel would always turn and face her demons head on even when she came close to shattering in private. She was too determined not to let them turn her into a victim to allow herself to back down. She was a survivor and he respected her for that, but he wished she would not cause herself more distress unnecessarily in order to achieve that goal. As he walked with her back to her quarters, Oreius knew that all he could do was pray that the Sisemaalians' visit would have no more surprises for Katerina Alambiel...and he would see what he could do to keep the Sisemaalian count from approaching Alambiel when it was not absolutely necessary.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so things didn't quite go as planned with the Sisemaalians showing up early, did it? More tension between Kat and Peridan coming in the next chapter. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Fifteen**

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Katerina took several calming breaths before finally looking in the mirror to make sure she looked anything but panicked. She frowned a little then forced a friendly expression in place and nodded. _No one can see through the mask unless I allow it...and I won't allow it._ Still, walking out of her quarters, Katerina felt a frisson of worry over whether she could keep up the charade throughout a dinner when she had to be in relatively close proximity to someone who bore an eerie resemblance to Heikki and Hendrik. She kept walking, even though a small part of her wanted to react to the visual reminder and the accompanying memories by running and hiding...after all, running never kept the monsters at bay for long, you always had to turn and face them.

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Marsalla smiled as Peridan kissed her hand, "Why did you not tell me that Uncle Teppo's old friend, Duke Toomas, was coming to Cair Paravel?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he answered, "I was going to tell you, my Tesoro, but I didn't know they were going to be here so soon. No one did." He smiled down at her, "Are you certain you are well enough to attend the banquet? I will be sure to ask Duke Toomas to visit with us when he is available, so you do not have to go if you're not truly up to it."

Marsalla smiled again, her Peridan was always so worried about her health, but he didn't need to that evening, "I am more than well enough. Besides, Queen Susan sent the invitation for both of us to attend and we cannot insult our sovereigns and then it would be all the more insulting if we entertained the Duke privately afterward." There was protocol about such things and she would not risk their futures by going around them. After all, they still hadn't been in Narnia long enough to be secure in their position in the Narnian court and her father's diplomatic experiences in both Archenland and Sisemaal had been used to drill into his daughters the importance of adhering to the strictest of protocols until one has a full understanding of the court intrigues. No, they dared not offend the Four or their most trusted counselors.

Peridan kissed her forehead then let go of her waist and nestled her hand in the crook of his elbow, setting his larger hand on top, as he led her out of their quarters. She smiled and nodded to the Narnians they passed, slowly starting to become accustomed to the disturbing sight of large carnivores baring their teeth in smiles, though she still tightened her grip on Peridan's arm ever so slightly when they passed three Tigers and a Bear who all grinned at them. However, Marsalla could not deny how much she looked forward to spending time with Humans who were not her children or the Four.

As guards opened the doors to the room where the banquet was being held, Marsalla was still surprised to see how informal and unstructured the arrangement was compared to both Archenland and Sisemaal. She curtsied and Peridan bowed to the Four, who acknowledged their presence with nods and smiles, before Queen Susan directed them to their seats. Marsalla glanced around, relishing the increased number of Human faces, and the familiarity of some of them only made it more enjoyable. Then, she stiffened when she saw the woman sitting to the General's right. Golden hair with white streaks. Peridan gently squeezed her hand and Marsalla took it as a warning not to show her alarm, although she knew it was most likely his attempt to comfort her. The Lady and rumored Strega Katerina did not seem to notice their actions though as she was engrossed in a conversation with the General.

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Katerina was careful to keep her focus on Oreius. Of course, she knew it wouldn't work forever, not when Duke Toomas had insisted she join the dinner in order to talk to her. Actually, they had barely made it through the first course when Duke Toomas turned his attention to her. "Dame Sepphora! I have heard it from a Sisemaalian trader that you have taken to burning buildings to make yourself listened to by those of the Lone Islands. Is it true?"

She looked at him, seeing naught but respect and perhaps a slight anticipation in his gaze. He probably had heard what kind of building she had ordered razed; now he merely wished for her answer. She smirked, "Well, it was only the one, Duke Toomas." Then, because she couldn't help herself in spite of knowing Oreius was right next to her, she smiled and sweetly asked, "And, since when did Sisemaalian traders take to sea voyages? After all, you are most definitely landlocked...did he get lost perchance?"

Oreius would probably scold her once he got her alone and several of the other council members looked askance at her, but then Duke Toomas laughed and gave her a deferring nod, "The man had lost a gioco d'azzardo and was sent to join some Archenland traders visiting the islands."

She tsked and smirked, "The poor man. I do hope the bonfire distracted him from his seasickness...I know it did make sure I was not ignored again."

Duke Toomas chuckled and gestured from his nephew to her, "You see? You see, Antti, this is a woman only very few men can hope to tame, a donna di fuoco e di bellezza." _(...woman of fire and beauty.)_ Katerina barely suppressed the urge to flinch as Count Antti studied her then nodded his agreement with his uncle's statement. Duke Toomas raised his glass to her, "Dame Sepphora, may men never ignore a woman of your fire and beauty again, or you shall assuredly burn a building down around them."

Katerina forced herself to smile and laugh a little as she raised her glass in kind before sipping her wine. Antti watched her still. She drank a little more wine as she fervently prayed Antti wasn't thinking about how to court her. Dear Lion, she would never be able to keep up this façade of calm and diplomacy if he tried to get any closer to her. She was having enough difficulty with him across the table and up four people. And then Duke Toomas turned to Peridan and the woman who could only be his wife, smiling and nodding as he spoke, "Ah, Lord Peridan, Lady Marsalla, it is good to see you again." He looked at the Four, still nodding, "You are most fortunate, your majesties, to have the addition of Lord Peridan and his family to your fair court. For you gain not only strong ties to Archenland but also strong ties to Sisemaal. Lady Marsalla's mother's brother, Teppo, he is a high advisor to King Jukka, very good, non? I see much strength between Sisemaal and Narnia, si, much strength."

Katerina's gaze darted to each of the Four and then to Oreius, but she could see in their expressions and in the stiffening of not only their posture, but also that of Peridan and Marsalla, that no one knew about the ties to Sisemaal running so deep. She took another sip of her wine as her gaze returned to Marsalla, whom she had not been introduced to officially yet. Peridan's wife was pale and she looked as though she were just recovering from a long illness or perhaps it was from shock and fear. Susan quickly diverted the awkwardness by asking after the rest of Duke Toomas' family, but Katerina did not pay close attention to the new conversation. Between watching how Peridan and Marsalla interacted with everyone and doing her best to ignore the way Antti's gaze continually returned to her, she barely had enough focus to vow that she would try not to judge them...she would speak to the Kentauri first. And, she would do her utmost best to keep from being alone with Antti or in a private enough setting that he could ask her whatever he was thinking... Katerina had no desire to engage in conversation with him, not when she could barely see him instead of his twisted brother and cousin leering at her as clearly as if it had not been nearly two years since they met their fate. Her mask wouldn't hold up if she allowed any close interaction with the young man who bore such an unfortunate family resemblance. And, she definitely couldn't let her mask slip when there were Sisemaalians around. She didn't need Stonebrook to tell her that would have disastrous repercussions. She took a cleansing breath then sipped her wine again before forcing another smile when Lucy and several others laughed. She was definitely going to need some coffee after the banquet concluded...make that a lot of coffee.

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Peridan knew Marsalla would be upset by everything that had happened, however, he did not expect her to revert to speaking solely in Sisemaalian as soon as they entered their rooms. She was speaking so quickly that he couldn't follow what she was saying. He feared she would work herself into another bout of illness if she continued in this state for much longer. Crossing the room, he gently caught her by her upper arms as he spoke in a firm but gentle tone, "Marsalla, you must calm down, my Tesoro. We do not want the children to wake and I do not want you to fall ill again. It is all right."

Marsalla shook her head as she clutched his tunic, "Non, it is not all right, Peridan. We...we might have lost everything. The General, he could cite you for treason. The Four could banish us for lying to them, even though we merely did not elaborate upon my family's ties with King Jukka. What of our children? And, the strega! The strega, oh she watched us so closely after Duke Toomas spoke of Uncle Teppo. What if she plots something? And, she, _she_ is Dame Sepphora! Why did you not warn me? I had thought we would have an ally against the strega...but we don't. We don't."

Peridan gently slid his hands from her upper arms to wrap around her hands, which were still clutching his tunic. He could feel her trembling and he carefully moved her to sit on the edge of their bed. "I know, Marsalla, I know and I am sorry I did not tell you earlier that Dame Sepphora was the Lady Katerina. I will go to the General and the Four tomorrow morning. I will apologize to them for the apparent deception and assure them that it was not our intention to deceive them. But, my Tesoro, you must not call Lady Katerina a strega, there is no proof that those rumors are true...and she has the favor of the Four and the General though I confess I do not understand why. What you saw tonight and how she interacted with Duke Toomas was but a trifle compared to how she has addressed the Kings and the General."

Marsalla leaned her forehead against his chest, still trembling, as she whispered, "I do not want her near our children."

Peridan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, "I promise she will not be allowed near them until we know whether she can be trusted or not." He did not mention that Tarrin would be in close proximity to Dame Sepphora every day he had training. That would only cause Marsalla more distress and fear. Her health couldn't handle such a thing...not now. It could wait until she was not as fragile and not so prone to falling ill again. He would be keeping a very, _very_ close eye on Dame Sepphora and he would have to reconsider Marsalla's uncle Teppo's request for him to aid the Sisemaalian envoy. Would it be worth the risk? He didn't know...

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Katerina gave Oreius a slight smile, allowing him to distract her from the unpleasant flashbacks just waiting to spring on her, "You exaggerate."

He glanced at her with amusement in his eyes, "No, I do not. The colts were conducting midnight raids on the kitchens and that is what happened when I caught them in the act."

She smiled and shook her head as she sipped her coffee, "Okay, I can believe Peter and Edmund would end up having that sort of encounter." Her smile faded as she recalled the other slightly troubling occurrence at the banquet. It was time to speak of the subject they had been avoiding...even though she believed she already knew the answer. "Did you know?"

All amusement faded from his eyes as he sighed, instantly confirming her suspicions before he even spoke. "No, I did not know that Peridan and his wife had such close ties to the Sisemaalian crown. They took pains to keep the strength of their ties to Sisemaal hidden even as they acknowledged Marsalla's family mostly lived in Sisemaal now."

Katerina gave him a considering look as she drummed her fingers against her mug, "Do you trust Peridan?"

"Yes, he has earned my trust."

She nodded, "Then, I shall continue to make the effort to be nice to the Peridan family." She quickly held up a hand before he could say anything, "I am doing it for your sake, Kentauri, because _you_ trust him not because he's earned my trust. He still has to prove he's worthy of my trust, but I won't give him a harder time than necessary, I promise."

Oreius bowed his head in silent thanks, and then gave the mug in his hand a dubious look before glancing back at her, "Alambiel, why are we drinking coffee?"

Katerina rolled her eyes as she set her coffee down and ticked the reasons off on her fingers, "One, it is my coffee and therefore, very good. Two, we had wine at the banquet. Three, and most importantly, I got to choose the refreshments for this week. This is definitely the kind of Sixthday that calls for coffee, so I picked coffee. You'll have to wait until next week to choose a different drink when it's your turn."

He chuckled, and then she allowed him to draw her into a debate over how many visits to the points of the compass was actually a reasonable assignment for his human students. And, she was adamant that twenty was not a reasonable number. Fortunately, for Peter and Edmund, not to mention their newest fellow student, Peridan's son, Tarrin, she won that debate.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so there is tension with even more to come in the next chapter. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Sixteen**

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21 Mayblossom 1006

Katerina jerked upright, gasping. She raised a shaky hand to push the tendrils that had escaped her braid out of her face. Scanning the room, she was thankful that she apparently hadn't screamed in her sleep this time. She flopped back onto the mattress and exhaled heavily; unsurprisingly, the nightmares revolving around not only the Monster but also Heikki and Hendrik had returned with vengeance and with a special focus on Heikki and Hendrik.

She sighed again as she gave up on trying to claim any more sleep. Dressing quickly in a simple tunic and skirt, she unbraided her hair, brushed it, and then put it into a French braid before twisting and pinning it into a bun. Glancing at the water clock, she grimaced at the time. Half past six in the morning and she had intentionally stayed up due to the coffee until just before three. Not bothering to put on her boots or any other type of footwear, she slipped out of her room. She needed to think, and she didn't feel like talking to anyone, not even the Kentauri, at the moment. She knew exactly where to go...

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"Tarrin!"

He squawked and fell out of bed, fighting against the covers, "What? What is it? Is it Mother?" He finally managed to get the covers off his head, so he could see his little sister watching him, brown eyes wide, "Raisa?"

She gave him an impatient look, "Tarrin, you're supposed to walk to the library with me, remember? Father said so last night before he and Mother went to the banquet."

He blinked at her as he rubbed his head, "What time is it?"

"Half past sixth hour."

Tarrin groaned, "Raisa! This is Seventhday, and it's the only day of the week I'm allowed to sleep late. Why do you want to go to the library at this hour anyway? Have you even eaten breakfast? Books are not more important than food."

His sister dismissed his objections out of hand. "Father said-"

He raised a hand, hoping to keep her from talking too much again, "I know, I know, just wait in your room until I dress...go on, Raisa, I'm not going to fall asleep again." He added under his breath as she was leaving, "Not as though you'd let me now."

She sang out, "I heard that, Tarrin!"

"Shh, or you'll wake Shane and Thane up. You'd never get to the library then." He waited until she scurried out of his room and then groaned at the thought of not only getting up, but also having to walk Raisa to the library before breakfast. Girls!

After finally finding his left boot under the bed and blearily taking a comb to his hair, Tarrin stifled a yawn and opened his door only to be pounced on immediately by Raisa. "Finally! Come on, Tarrin, it is going to be wonderful in the library. It is always busier on Seventhdays, sometimes I see the Kings and the Queens come in. Of course, then other times when there is next to no one around. Oh, but I'm meeting all the librarians, of course, not all of them are just librarians, some of them teach the Kings and Queens, which is why they're always in the library. Like Stonebrook, he's a Centaur, have you met him? Oh, and the head librarian is a Badger, his name is Elwood and he is very grumpy. But, Stonebrook says he's been like that for years and years and I should not worry about him because he's not nearly as mean as he seems, just very crotchety. And, then there's this very lovely lady Cat who's married to one of the Cats who's a strategist in the army and her name is Lady-"

Tarrin finally cut off the flow of too many words at that time of day by clapping his hand over Raisa's mouth, "Shh! Raisa, it's too early to talk." She frowned at him, but thank Aslan she didn't say anything when he moved his hand. Instead, she grabbed his sleeve and tugged until he picked up his pace. It seemed to take forever, but they finally reached the library. Raisa looked at him and gave him a half-push, something she would never dare to do if their mother had been nearby, saying something about getting sleep or food...or was it both? After watching her hurry to where a Cat was sitting on a table surrounded by books, Tarrin decided he should get both sleep and food, in no particular order.

He wandered away from the library, still half-asleep and barely registering the amused glances various Narnians cast at him. Yawning, he finally stopped in a corridor and forced his eyes to open, trying to decide if his bed or breakfast was closer. He frowned in confusion as he looked around and didn't recognize anything...and his feet were hurting. Tarrin was no longer tired. He also couldn't spot any guards...but there was a door standing halfway open a little further down.

Hoping someone was in there who could tell him how to get back to his family's quarters, Tarrin hurried to the door and peeked in. His jaw dropped as he took in the room. It looked like a slightly smaller version of the great hall, but it only had one throne on the dais instead of four and it didn't have a glass roof. He took a half-step inside but stopped when he saw Dame Sepphora sitting on the floor with her back against one of the columns closest to the dais. Tarrin carefully backed up, not wanting to disturb her...honestly, she scared him a little even though he really only saw her during training and he still wasn't sure if the General or Dame Sepphora intimidated him more. He froze again as he heard another door open and close followed by the sound of hooves echoing closer.

Dame Sepphora didn't move from where she was sitting, even as the owner of the hooves came closer until Tarrin could see it was a Centaur. Instead, she waited until he was standing next to her before asking, "Do you think my father would be proud of what I have become? After all, it is not exactly what he was raising me to be."

"Yes, little one, I do. They would all be proud of you, even if they occasionally questioned your methods." Tarrin watched in silent bewilderment as the Centaur pulled Dame Sepphora up and hugged her before continuing, "And, you should know that Tuulea and I are as proud of you as if you were our own. Come now, Tuulea expects you to join the family for the morning meal. But, you should change if you do not wish Tuulea to lecture you...again."

Tarrin blinked in surprise when Dame Sepphora responded by laughing softly, "Yes, Stonebrook." And then his heart nearly stopped when Dame Sepphora turned to look at him, "Are you lost, Peridanson? Or do you merely make a habit of eavesdropping on others' conversations?"

He felt his face warm and he just knew he was probably blushing to the roots of his hair, "Well, I- That is- I, um, I didn't, that is I wasn't planning- Mylittlesisterdraggedmeoutofbedinordertowalkwithhe rtothelibrarybutIdidn'tevengettoeatorsleepinandthi sismyonlydaytosleepinand..."

He trailed off as Dame Sepphora held up a hand, "Calm down, Peridanson. You aren't in trouble. Now, can you tell us all that again? But, this time put spaces between the words and remember to breathe."

Tarrin glanced from her to Stonebrook then back before he took a deep breath and slowly repeated himself, "My little sister dragged me out of bed in order to walk with her to the library but I didn't even get a chance to eat or sleep in and this is my only day to sleep in...so...so I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and I ended up in the hall." He gestured at the open door behind him and continued, "But, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Dame Sepphora. I was just coming in here to see if there was someone who could tell me how to get back to my family's quarters."

She nodded, "I believe you, Tarrin. The Four and I get lost on a fairly regular basis depending on which part of the Cair we are in and we've lived here a fair sight longer than yourself. Next time though, simply go ahead and declare yourself. A suspicion of eavesdropping is far more detrimental to your perceived character than the truthful admittance of getting lost." She gave him a friendly smile and nodded to Stonebrook, "I'll tell Tuulea why you're late if you don't finish up before I do." And then, she left before Tarrin could apologize again.

Stonebrook chuckled, "Come, Tarrin Peridanson, I will escort you back to your quarters."

Tarrin nodded silently before following Stonebrook, once again not paying any attention to the way they went until Stonebrook called his attention. He was too busy trying to decide if he was still intimidated by Dame Sepphora or just confused. He didn't know...

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Marsalla took care not to be too agitated as she held Maisee. Her poor piccolla dolcezza had had the colic all through the night and had only just dropped into a light sleep. Still, she couldn't help fearing what would happen. Peridan had been summoned to a private audience with the Four at the early hour of six in the morning and he had not even been able to sleep more than an hour all together since they had taken turns pacing with Maisee. Oh, how she wished she had a better grasp of the current court intrigue at Cair Paravel. Then, perhaps she would have a better idea of the punishment the Four would surely hand down for deceiving them. _Oh, please let them understand enough to lighten the sentence. _She prayed fervently as she stroked her youngest child's hair.

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Peridan took a single calming breath before he stepped from the little alcove his escort had left him in and immediately bowed to the Four. Straightening, he fought the urge to cringe under the force of the impassive look, tinged with just a hint of warning, being directed at him by the General. Instead, he inclined his head again, "Your majesties, General Oreius, though I do not deserve it, I request your patient indulgence so that I might explain the circumstances brought to light during last night's banquet."

The Four looked at him in silence before the High King gave a single curt nod. "Speak, Lord Peridan."

"Your majesties, General Oreius, I know it did not look...well when Duke Toomas mentioned the position held by members of my wife's family in the Sisemaalian court. However, I can explain why we kept our silence. It is true that both Marsalla's father and mother were involved in the Sisemaalian court to an extent, but this we told you. Marsalla was raised as the daughter of a diplomat, an ambassador, and she was trained in the court intrigues, how to recognize them, how to tread the careful path to avoid bringing shame or even doom upon her family no matter whether they were in the court at Anvard or at Mägi, and she has never forgotten her parents' wisdom. Our ties to her family are strong and we had a good position within King Lune's court, so we knew from both Sisemaal and reports that reached King Lune about the way Sisemaal had been disgraced by the conduct of one of its own noblemen toward King Edmund not quite two years ago." Peridan didn't miss the slight tightening of the High King's jaw nor the way the Queens exchanged concerned looks, and he most certainly did not miss how the General and King Edmund remained still and seemingly unmoved though King Edmund looked ever so slightly paler than his natural coloring. Still, he pressed on. "Marsalla was concerned that revealing the full specifics of her family's ties to Sisemaal, especially that her uncle was a high advisor to King Jukka, before we had a chance to familiarize ourselves with the court intrigues present in Cair Paravel would be...detrimental to our hopes to be established here and give our children good futures. I agreed because I did not want Marsalla to upset herself since, as you are aware, her health is not at its best though she has been recovering since we came to Narnia. We intended to inform you of the full details about the ties between the Sisemaalian court and our family. I swear before Aslan that it was not our intention to deceive you, especially not out of questionable loyalties and motives."

The Four exchanged looks with each other and then with the General before turning back to him. King Edmund leaned forward slightly, "And if your wife's kin, such as this Teppo, were to ask you for a favor as family that would potentially cause harm to Narnia, would you keep your oath of fealty to Us or would you be swayed by family ties?"

Peridan was careful to hide how taken aback he was not only by the question, but also by how the boy not much older than his Tarrin had most firmly embodied the very aura of a king much wiser than his years. "I will honor my oath of fealty, my King. If I thought any favor asked might cause harm to Narnia or you and your royal siblings, I would bring to your attention and allow you to judge whether the favor is harmful or not since I am at least somewhat biased."

Though, he wondered if they somehow knew that Teppo had indeed asked a favor, Peridan did not mention it since that favor did not imply harm to Narnia or their majesties. A long moment of silence stretched between them until finally the High King spoke, "Lord Peridan, while We understand your caution in a new country, We expect you and yours to be forthright with Us from this point forward. We also wish to impress upon you that Our court does not engage in the political intrigue you are accustomed to in Sisemaal or even Archenland. However, we know that is something you must experience before it is easily believed. Please go and enjoy spending Seventhday with your family."

Peridan bowed and fervently prayed as he walked back to his family's quarters that the visit from the Sisemaalian party would progress smoothly from that point forward.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, more to come soon. Any guesses as to how the rest of the visit is going to go? Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Seventeen**

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24 Mayblossom 1006

"Dame Sepphora! Dame Sepphora, un momento del vostro tempo, se non vi dispiace." _(...a moment of your time, if you please.) _

Katerina silently cursed Murphy before turning around and giving Count Antti and his friend/bodyguard (held himself too stiffly to completely pass as a civilian...) known as Seppanen a polite closed-mouth smile, "Gentlemen?"

They both bowed their heads and then Count Antti asked, "Is there a place where we might speak in privacy?"

_Nowhere I'd take you._ She adjusted the sleeves of her dress, stalling for time, before having to admit to herself that there was no rescue coming and, technically, she didn't have a good reason to refuse or to call for someone else to come deal with them. Besides, she had promised Stonebrook and the Four that she would be diplomatic (Oreius only asked her to promise not to kill anyone...the Kentauri was all about priorities). Not to mention the little fact that she had been trying to avoid Antti and his friend for days and they kept finding her (it was as though they were her own personal plague of flies...one she wasn't allowed to swat). Finally, in spite of the niggling urge to cut and run while she still could, Katerina nodded, "Yes, follow me."

She led them to one of the small gardens that had a bower for privacy from one of the main paths between the training grounds and the main palace. Glancing around, she hoped she had timed it well enough that the Kentauri and Ardon would be passing within hearing range soon (just in case...after all, no need to taunt Murphy any further). Katerina cautiously perched on the smaller of the two stone benches within the bower, counting on Sisemaalian rules of propriety to keep either one of them to keep from trying to sit next to her.

Count Antti exchanged a brief look with Seppanen before he bowed to her and stepped closer to the bench she was sitting on, "Dame Sepphora, I have been guardare, that is, observing you and I must agree with my uncle, the Duke Toomas."

He paused, seeming to expect her to say something, but she couldn't even nod. _One, that was a slightly creepy statement. Two, oh I hope this isn't going where I'm afraid it's going._

Count Antti continued, "I must agree with my uncle, the Duke Toomas, that you are indeed a donna di fuoco e di bellezza. A woman of fire and beauty such as yourself must not lack for suitors, non?" She barely resisted the urge to snap that her suitors typically had no brains or were trying to win a bet. But, she didn't say a word as the count continued, "Still, I see you have no amante, no promessa sposa. _(...no lover, no betrothed.)_ He didn't seem to register the fact that she nearly choked at his choice of words. "Perhaps, Dame Sepphora, you might be, ah, willing to change that fact? It would be a shame, a great crime for a woman such as you not to experience the privilege of being someone's wife. Mägi is most beautiful as is the country estate where you would have free reign whenever not required to be by my side. You would want for nothing."

Katerina quickly held up her hand, forcing the count to halt his sales pitch, "Count Antti, while I am...flattered by your most unexpected proposal, I must refuse. Narnia is my home and I have no desire to leave it. And, I do not think we would make each other happy. I mean we don't even know each other."

Count Antti blinked at her, clearly not used to being refused, and unfortunately, he looked exactly like his deceased and unlamented brother just then, causing her to once again fight the urge to make her escape. Then, his expression cleared and he bowed, "Ah, I see. Well, I shall court you until we do know each other, and then you will accept my proposal." He grinned, almost boyishly, as he turned and left the bower, with Seppanen trailing him, before she could protest. A dull pain spread from her hand and she glanced down to see that she had dug her nails into her palm hard enough to leave marks. She sighed as she wondered how much trouble it would cause if she knocked the overconfident count down when he tried to court her. Ugh, it was as though she had somehow acquired her own Mr. Collins, only this one was a count as opposed to a clergyman.

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Peridan glanced at General Oreius and Captain Ardon, but neither officer gave a hint as to their thoughts concerning the proposal they had just overheard. Personally, he doubted that Count Antti meant to insult Dame Sepphora. The information he had, and just that from his conversations with Duke Toomas over the last few days, indicated that Antti was merely trying to fill his new role in society appropriately. And, since Dame Sepphora was, from all appearances, someone relatively well placed in Narnia's social hierarchy, then she would be a valuable tie between Sisemaal and Narnia. Count Antti was testing the waters since a first refusal was not always a permanent one, according to Sisemaalian culture.

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A day later, Oreius was pressed hard to hide his growing frustration at the current situation. He had found it difficult to believe when he heard Count Antti actually propose to Alambiel and then when she refused, he promised to continue pursuing her. Did the man have no sense? One does not harass a female who has already turned down one's overtures, and especially not when she told him plainly that she did not wish him to pursue her further. Unfortunately, he had been unable to find the opportunity to make that fact clear to Count Antti...yet.

Count Antti had been as many places as Katerina Alambiel was and as close to her as he could manage, which simply had to stop before she was pushed into reacting. The soft murmur of voices caught his attention as he came closer to one of the solariums. As he approached the open door, he determined it was indeed Alambiel and one of the Sisemaalians, most likely Count Antti. Alambiel sounded frustrated as she snapped, "I don't play those sorts of games! I am not playing hard to get nor am I trying to give you mixed signals, Count Antti. I refused the first time because I have no desire to marry you. I am refusing now because I _still_ don't want to marry you."

Oreius reached the door just as Count Antti bowed over her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it, apparently oblivious to the look of disgust and annoyance that momentarily crossed Alambiel's face. "Dame Sepphora, you are hesitant, I know, but I do believe we have made some progress, non? However, if you wish more time to be courted, I will speak with my uncle about extending our stay in Narnia."

Count Antti may have missed the glint in Alambiel's eyes, but Oreius knew she was about to snap something more than her words...most likely the Sisemaalian's wrist since he still clasped her hand. "Dame Sepphora, you should be in the conservatory with the Queens."

The count released her hand and Alambiel immediately walked toward him, slanting him a grateful look, "Yes, of course, I'm afraid the time got away from me." She quickly slipped past him and he heard her pace increase to just below a run as soon as she was out of the Sisemaalian's hearing range, which left him alone with the count.

Count Antti moved to follow her but Oreius didn't move. The Sisemaalian gave him a look and the expression on his face changed from confident to slightly wary. Oreius stepped further into the room, forcing Count Antti to back up as he closed the door, ensuring privacy. Turning back to the count, Oreius folded his arms over his chest, "Count Antti, you should cease pursuing Dame Sepphora. She has made it clear that she does not desire your attentions. Leave her alone and there will be no problems. If you continue to harass her, there will be a serious problem between the two of us. I also recommend that you allow your party to adhere to the original schedule for your visit."

Count Antti seemed speechless for a moment before he smiled, "But, General, you must know that women do not always mean no when they say it, non? Dame Sepphora may merely wish to make a challenge."

Oreius scowled, "She has already disabused you of that theory. Listen to her, or if you refuse, then listen to me. Leave her alone. And, do you even know her name?"

The count looked nonplussed, "Her name is Dame Sepphora."

"No. That is not her true name." Oreius allowed a little more severity to enter his tone, "Leave her alone. Pursue one of the women who would be happy to accept your suit and one whose name you truly know."

Count Antti was silent for a moment and then he bowed, "I understand, General Oreius. Please excuse me, I must join my uncle."

Oreius finally stepped back and to the side, allowing the count to leave. He hoped he had made his point clear enough that the count would cease to trouble Alambiel. If not, well, then he would have to interfere more forcefully...

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Peridan nodded a greeting to Count Antti as the younger man entered the room. Then, he turned to Duke Toomas, resuming the conversation and silently thanking Marsalla for those many lessons in Sisemaalian since it provided an ease to the conversation. "Teppo asked that I help ensure your visit proceed smoothly since this is the first time you and yours have returned to Cair Paravel since the unfortunate events involving King Edmund and the mercenaries."

Duke Toomas nodded, "Si, and I thank you for the help you have provided and it has been most pleasant visiting with you and your family. Please inform your wife that I will be most glad to carry the letters to her family back to Sisemaal. I believe they are all at Mägi in preparation for the start of the summer season, non?"

Peridan nodded, "If things are proceeding as usual, everyone should be at the capital by now. And, you have our thanks for carrying the letters, your grace. When do you intend to conclude your visit here?"

Duke Toomas leaned back, combing his fingers through his beard as he thought, "Tomorrow and we shall leave in the morning after breakfast."

Peridan nodded, and standing, offered a polite bow, "Duke Toomas, it would please Marsalla and me greatly if you would share breakfast with us before you depart."

Duke Toomas thanked him, allowing him to leave. However, he heard Count Antti speaking before he quite reached the door, "You were right, Uncle. Dame Sepphora has no interest in my suit and her amante made sure I did not misunderstand her again. He was most...intimidating. But, perhaps I should let him catch me attempting to persuade her once more? It would be interesting and perhaps I could succeed still."

Duke Toomas barked a laugh, "Please do not, I wish to keep you in one piece, nephew. Stay out of her way and stay out of his way. There is no need to further tarnish their current impression of our family, non?"

Peridan nearly turned back to question Count Antti as to what he was talking about, but he didn't as he heard the count agree to leave Dame Sepphora alone. Instead, he left. Of course, he hadn't gone far when he spotted Dame Sepphora having a rather heated conversation with Seppanen, the new captain of the guard for Duke Toomas. He sighed as he realized ensuring the Sisemaalains' visit went smoothly would not be easy until they actually left.

Seppanen suddenly leaned forward, attempting to kiss Dame Sepphora. She jerked back and slapped him hard enough that Peridan could see the red imprint of her hand even from a distance. Seppanen stepped toward her and she grabbed his hand, twisting it behind his back. "I said no, I am not interested. That was not code for try to kiss me. I don't care if you admire me or not, I said no, so you will maintain your distance. And, if you ever try to kiss me again, you will wish I just broke your hand."

Peridan quickly approached before things got worse, "Captain Seppanen, perhaps it would be best if you returned to your duties to the Duke."

Seppanen nodded curtly as Dame Sepphora finally released his hand, and then he gave a short bow to them both before retreating to the quarters assigned to his party. Peridan looked at Dame Sepphora, "The General will need a report."

"No."

"There was an assault involved, you must give the General a report, it is protocol."

She shook her head, "The Kentauri doesn't need to know. He would overreact."

Peridan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Dame Sepphora, I insist-"

She cut him off abruptly, "You do not outrank me, Lord Peridan, which means I am the one making the judgment call and I say this wasn't big enough to be worth a report. Please do not mention it again."

Peridan considered ignoring her, but unfortunately, since she was a knight, she did currently outrank him and it would not do for him to break protocol in order to circumvent her. He tried to keep his expression clear of his disapproval as he gave a curt nod before they parted ways, though he did not think he was as successful as he should have been based on her brusque dismissal.

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Oreius frowned as he came across Count Antti, who was once again watching Alambiel as she spoke to Duke Toomas and King Edmund. How blunt must he make his point before the count understood he was unwelcome? He scuffed a hoof against the marble floor to gain the count's attention. The count turned as Ardon approached them both and bowed his head slightly, "Perdonami, General, but I have not forgotten your warning concerning Dame Sepphora. But, you cannot fault me for still admiring her from afar, non?"

Oreius fought the urge to take the fool to the training yard and demonstrate what he had meant by a problem between the two of them. He had seen Alambiel cast a few wary glances toward the count throughout the day and this final evening of the Sisemaalians' visit had required a banquet. Now, however, as the banquet wound down, he was struggling to maintain his civility toward the count. He answered tightly, "Only if your "admiration" continues to cause her discomfort, Count Antti." The count bowed his head again and then made his way through the crowd to his uncle, who was no longer speaking with Alambiel. Oreius ignored the questioning look Ardon gave him. He didn't want to discuss it.

The next morning, though, Ardon pressed him as they sparred, "So, you threatened Count Antti. Why?"

Oreius huffed in irritation before slamming his claymore against Ardon's, forcing the other Stallion to back up, "I did not threaten. I warned."

They separated and circled each other, searching for an opening as Ardon commented, "And, just why did you "warn" him against approaching Sepphora? You know as well as I that she is more than capable of telling him to stay away from her, just like she's turned down others who imagined themselves her suitors."

Oreius didn't answer at first as he pursued the opening Ardon had just presented, causing them to lock blades. "I know she is capable. However, he ignored her continued refusal and I felt it necessary to step in. Her past experiences with his deceased brother and cousin made it a reckless decision to allow their encounters to continue and most likely escalate once he pushed her too far. I am her friend and I have promised to be her shield, that is why I interfered."

"Are you sure?"

Oreius scowled at him, and shoved hard following through with a quick attack, knocking aside Ardon's blade and then resting his sword against the other swordmaster's throat. "Of course, what other reason would I have?"

Ardon lowered his sword, conceding the match, before shrugging, "I merely wondered." He nodded toward the palace, "The Sisemaalians will be leaving in an hour, at least you won't have to threaten any of them again."

Oreius gave a curt nod, "I know."

"Are you going to tell her about it?"

"Of course not. She would not appreciate my interference, no matter it was for her own good. And, you will not say anything either."

"Oh of course not."

Leaving the training yard, Oreius looked up to see Katerina Alambiel coming down the stairs. She was wearing one of the fancier, lightweight dresses that the Queens and Tuulea had conspired for months to get her into and the morning sunlight hit her hair just right, making it seem even more brilliantly golden and pure white. The glint of silver drew his eyes to the beads he had given her after her knighting ceremony, which she had as per usual in a braid that always escaped from the rest of her hair, which she had twisted in a knot that morning. He blinked and noticed that she was already speaking to the Four. He quickly joined them, but as the sovereigns saw off the Sisemaalians, Oreius couldn't help glancing at Alambiel and admitting that he could see why even overconfident fools like Count Antti would find it difficult to resist attempting to pursue her. Though he doubted she would concede to any suitor since as far as he knew she still adhered to the cynical outlook on love and romance, and he did not think any of the suitors who had pursued her thus far would help change that outlook.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Okay, so the Sisemaalians have finally left, but don't worry things aren't settled yet. However, since I took a break from my research paper to bring you this chapter, I must admit there will not be another update until after finals next week. Leave a review and let me know what you thought about this one and what you think might happen next.**


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Eighteen**

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1 Fairdawn 1006

Tarrin bent over, panting as he watched Dame Sepphora use her knives to dislodge Sir Peter's shield and then to slip her hand in the gap and declare him dead. The General had assigned the Kings and himself to attack Dame Sepphora as a group but she had tripped King, err, Sir Edmund almost immediately, throwing off their attack. Basically, she had just picked them off one by one. The General finally moved from where he had been observing their slaughter and scanned them. Tarrin quickly straightened and tried not to pant as the General's attention fell on him for what seemed like hours before he looked at the kings. "You must fight as one. Wolfsbane, How, your shieldwork was the sloppiest it has been in months. Dame Sepphora used a blatant trick to trip you, How. You should have stayed closer to Peridanson. All three of you will visit the points of the compass."

Tarrin exchanged a weary look with the kings, but they obediently took off their helmets, shields, and swords before going to the line Dame Sepphora had helped the General delineate by taking a position directly opposite of him. The General thundered, "Run!"

Tarrin tore out after the kings, still struggling with how to run without running so fast he wore himself out on the first tower and not having enough energy to run to the other three towers. Still, in spite of his best efforts, Tarrin was panting and lagging far behind the kings when they finally reached the fourth tower. A large Raccoon passed him, chuckling, and then a group of kittens pounced down the stairs, pausing to look at him as he crawled to the top and giggling before one of the kittens decided to bite his fingers. Tarrin somehow found the breath to give a half-yelp, startling the kittens, who then scampered down the stairs. By the time, he finally reached the top of the tower, King Edmund was sprawled facedown on the floor while King Peter was leaning against the wall. King Peter half-raised a hand, "You made it, Tarrin."

He nodded, not being able to gather the breath necessary to speak as he sat down hard and dropped his head between his knees. King Peter seemed to understand the problem as he looked wearily over to King Edmund who still hadn't moved. "Are you going to get up, Ed?"

King Edmund groaned, "They've killed me, Peter, go on without me."

Tarrin managed to lift his head to stare at King Edmund while King Peter huffed a breathless laugh, "I can't move either, brother mine. Now what?"

King Edmund lifted his head just enough to gasp, "We're doomed." He let his head drop with a thunk and muttered, "Ow."

Tarrin looked at King Peter, who shook his head, "Giving yourself a concussion is not going to get Oreius to let you out of visiting the points of the compass again."

King Edmund didn't seem to care as he rolled onto his back with a dramatic groan, "He's trying to kill us, Peter...and it worked. I'll never move again."

Tarrin's mouth twitched as a smile attempted to appear, but then another voice cut into the conversation, "Then, shall I inform the Queens that you do not wish to join them for a late brunch?" He craned his neck to see Dame Sepphora watching them with an amused look.

King Edmund immediately sat up, "Food?" He scrambled to his feet, "Come on, Peter."

King Peter immediately hurried after his brother. Dame Sepphora smirked, "Boys. Only dying until their next meal is threatened." She glanced down at him and hauled him to his feet, "Go on, Peridanson, you have been released from training as well...and I'm sure you're positively starving too." Tarrin gave a curt nod, being still somewhat winded, and then hurried down the stairs. He _was_ starving...

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"Mother, may I go with you when you join the Queens for tea, please?"

Marsalla looked across the table at Raisa, then nodded, "You may, but do not bother anyone if they're busy."

Raisa nodded happily, "Yes, Mother."

Marsalla turned slightly to see Tarrin shoveling food into his mouth, "Tarrin! Take smaller bites before you choke, young man. And, do try to remember that your father and I have raised you to have _good_ table manners. Not to mention the fact that you certainly don't see the Kings shoveling their food in such an uncouth manner. I want you to aspire to their example."

Her eldest sighed, but straightened so he was no longer leaning into his plate as though he were a starved hooligan. "Yes, Mother. Sorry, Mother."

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Edmund reached for some more toast as he gulped some of the blessedly cool lemonade. Lucy giggled and shook her head, "Narnia's going to run out of toast soon if you keep eating it like that, Ed."

His cheeks currently puffing out from the slice of toast he had just shoved in his mouth, all Edmund could do was shrug as he worked on chewing and swallowing. Unfortunately, Susan turned from the conversation she and Peter had been having about the afternoon's scheduled tea with an ambassador from one of the countries to the south of Calormen before he got very far. "Edmund Alexander Pevensie! How many times do you have to be told to take small bites, chew, swallow, and _then_ eat some more? You have proper table manners, Ed, so use them. Honestly, you're going to choke one of these days, and probably on too much toast too."

He shrugged again as he swallowed the last bit, "I'd die a very happy and well-fed boy, Su."

Fortunately, Peter changed the subject before Susan could scold him, "So, what's this chap want do you think?"

Lucy shrugged as she tucked her bare feet underneath her so she was kneeling in her chair, "He didn't say, but he asked very nicely to have the opportunity to speak to us more privately, so Susan and I invited him to tea. Kat and Oreius are going to be there too. And, so is Marsalla and Peridan, along with a few of our other ladies."

Edmund rolled his eyes, "Let's just hope the ambassador doesn't do anything that will set Kat off." He paused as he munched on another slice of toast before asking, "What are the chances of tea occurring without any complications?"

Peter shook his head, "Minimum."

Susan spoke at the exact same time, "Don't talk with your mouth full, Ed. Honestly!"

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Raisa trailed her parents, forcing herself to walk at a properly sedate pace, but she was so excited to see an ambassador and all four of the royals at once too. She didn't often accompany her mother when she attended the Queens as a lady-in-waiting, and especially not when the Kings were also present, since she was usually busy completing her studies or in the library. She smiled and gave a little wave as they passed a Centaur who was one of Stonebrook's sons. He smiled and gave a slight nod in return before they turned the corner and Raisa lost sight of him.

They entered one of the larger beautiful garden areas, which happened to be just in front of a huge maze, and Raisa peeked around her parents to see the Four were already present as was the strega. She glanced at her father, but he had already moved to speak to the General while her mother beckoned slightly for Raise to follow as she glided to a place just beside Queen Susan and Queen Lucy. She hesitated half a moment but remembered that Aunt Bellissa had said that witches always knew when someone was afraid of them or lying to them and then she had read that book, which confirmed just about everything her aunt had told her. And, Father had said that she mustn't let the strega know she's afraid too. And it wasn't as though she would do anything to her in front of all these people, especially since the ambassador was coming- Oh, the ambassador! She wondered what the ambassador would be like, after all, she had heard her parents discussing the fact that ambassadors had started coming to the Cair out of hopes of wooing Queen Susan since she was sixteen. Maybe he was a very handsome, wonderful man who wouldn't try to take Queen Susan from Narnia but instead stay in Narnia so as to be near her and her family always. She wondered if he was tall and very handsome like her Aunt Adaira's husband whose ship had wrecked off the coast of Archenland and he was originally from the lands south of Calormen. Eager to know if she was right, Raisa turned to ask Queen Lucy about the ambassador when a Faun entered the garden and bowed, "The ambassador is here, your majesties."

Queen Lucy beamed at him as she poured some tea into a dainty cup and handed it to him, "Thank you, Mr. Tumnus."

Raisa thought Mr. Tumnus looked a little discomfited as he accepted the tea before a man walked into the garden. She perked up for a moment, but only until she saw him. He was short, barely taller than Queen Lucy, and fat, not comfortably so like her Grandfather or King Lune, but very uncomfortably since he was sweating terribly and looked completely out of breath. He bowed his head then gratefully took a seat on one of the wooden benches, which creaked ominously as he pulled out a strongly scented handkerchief that caused the Talking Animals to sneeze and dabbed at the rivulets of sweat running from the very top of his bald head down to his triple chin. Raisa hid a frown behind her teacup, like her mother had taught her, as she wondered if the ambassador was running late and had sent this man to convey his excuses. Because surely this couldn't be-

Mr. Tumnus cleared his throat, "Your majesties, Ambassador Chedorlaomer Wahshehah."

The wooden bench creaked even more ominously than before as the ambassador shifted forward slightly to accept the cup of tea Queen Lucy had poured for him, "Ah, I thank you, sovereigns of Narnia, for agreeing to this more private meeting. You have most pleasant weather here as well. Ah, but that is not the point of this meeting, merely an observation. My party has delivered the trade agreements between my homeland and your fair country, another observation I know, but we are always seeking to strengthen our ties with our trading partners. And, personally, I myself have never seen such beauty as that found among the women of Narnia, particularly among the unmarried women of Narnia."

Raisa glanced wide-eyed at the Four, Queen Susan looked faintly dismayed and Queen Lucy was wide-eyed while the Kings were watching the ambassador with a slight wariness. Her father also looked wary while the General loomed silent from his place between the Kings and her father, giving no hint to his thoughts. Her mother and the other ladies-in-waiting were all watching the ambassador. Raisa darted a glance at the strega who was standing on the other side of Queen Susan, but she merely tilted her head slightly. The ambassador smiled and leaned forward, causing the wooden bench to emit the most ominous creak yet, as he hefted himself to his feet and approached them. "You see the point, most gracious majesties, yes? I should like to ask if this most beautiful woman before me would be willing to wed me as a political alliance between our two countries." He reached out toward where Queen Susan and the strega were standing. Raisa's mouth dropped open before she remembered to close it, but everyone else looked just as shocked when the ambassador grabbed the hand of the strega instead of Queen Susan's hand. "Most beautiful woman, I ask that you agree to this marriage and become my fifth wife."

The ambassador looked so odd standing there gazing up, rather far up, at the strega who stared at him, "Did you say _fifth _wife?"

"Yes, but I do believe you could please me enough that I would be most willing to make you my principal wife, Lady Katerina." The strega...Lady Katerina tried to tug her hand away, but the ambassador wouldn't let go. "In fact, I might be able to promise should you provide a much needed son and heir-"

"No." Raise nearly jumped out of her seat from the sharpness of Lady Katerina's tone. She wondered if she was getting ready to put a spell on the man as Lady Katerina prevented the ambassador from interrupting, "No, absolutely not. Ambassador Chedorlaomer Wahshehah, I must inform you that I do not, and never will, consider _any_ marriage proposal that involves numbers, the phrase 'principal wife,' or promotions. Now please release my hand." The ambassador didn't let go, instead Raisa was almost certain he tightened his hand, but it was hard to see far enough around his side to know for sure. Lady Katerina didn't cast a spell, at least she didn't cast one on the ambassador because there was suddenly a knife in Lady Katerina's other hand, which she rested against the ambassador's triple chin, "I said. Let. Go."

The ambassador released Lady Katerina's hand and she removed her knife. Raisa noticed that her father had a hand on the hilt of his sword, and in that brief second, Lady Katerina's knife had vanished again. The High King cleared his throat, "Ambassador, We are afraid Narnia is currently unable to enter such an alliance as you proposed."

The ambassador nodded and stepped back before bowing his head, "Yes, and it is understood as to why, though it never brings harm to ask after possibilities." Raisa sat back as Lady Katerina whispered in Queen Susan's ear, received a slight nod, and then left the garden. The conversation after that was interesting but also somewhat unexciting. Not another word was mentioned about marriage proposals or Lady Katerina's behavior until the ambassador finally left with the intention of sailing for his home on the evening tide.

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Katerina finished pouring the drinks and then handed Oreius his as he walked through the door, "I don't want to talk about it."

The Kentauri smirked, "You do not?"

She shook her head, "Nope."

He looked at his drink and then raised an eyebrow at her, "Wine, Alambiel?"

She sipped hers and then rolled her eyes, "Tonight called for wine as opposed to coffee. That was...unbelievable." Katerina shrugged, at a loss for words, before she leaned her head against her hand, "Why me? Why am I the one who suddenly has more undesired proposals than you could shake a stick at?"

"Well, they have been telling you that you are beautiful, perhaps that is why."

"Empty flattery. And, I can't decide what bothered me more. The fact that he had the gall to ask me to be his fifth wife, with the possibility of promotion no less, or the fact that him asking me to be his fifth wife means that there are four other women married to this man."

He chuckled, "I believe I found both factors to be equally...unsettling."

"Well, unsettling is one way to put it. Although, you're right, both bother me greatly. Especially since I can't figure out why he fixated on me..." She took another drink then lifted her head, "I've got it! It's Murphy. Don't laugh, listen. Murphy has decided to plague me with the annoyance of suitors and all those diplomatic issues that accompany them as revenge for not sinking when I was on that thrice-accursed ship from Murphy's harbor. Oh, it all makes sense now."

Oreius just laughed and then, to Katerina's personal relief, allowed the subject to be changed to a debate over an upcoming assignment that she did not want. She won the debate.

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2 Fairdawn 1006

Tarrin eyed the bucket skeptically, "Are you sure about this, King Edmund? I mean, how are we even going to achieve this one?"

King Edmund smirked, "Don't worry, Tarrin, Peter is going to be the distraction and he's not going to do so until after she's run her bath."

"But, we've never tried to play a prank on her before and how do you know she will even react like you want?"

King Edmund clapped him on the shoulder, "Peter and I have been trying to play a prank on Kat that would make her react like our sisters and other girls do almost as long as we've known her. She has yelled at us because of pranks, chased us because of pranks, beat us up in the training yard because of pranks, but she has never screamed because of a prank. Never. This will change that, I'm sure of it. Now all we have to do is wait for Peter to get Kat to go into her study."

Tarrin gave the bucket and its contents another skeptical look, but before he could protest again, King Edmund hissed from where he was standing at the cracked door. "All right, Peter's knocked on the door and Kat's letting him in. Come on and be careful not to spill."

They grabbed the bucket and carefully walked as fast as they could across the hall to Dame Sepphora's quarters. Tarrin could see her study door was cracked open just enough that they could see she had her back to them as she asked, "And, just what documents do you have that would require my signature on Seventhday, Peter?"

King Edmund pushed the bedroom door open slightly then they squeezed into the room, still being careful not to make too much noise or to spill the bucket. Tarrin didn't even have the time to glance around her room since his heart was pounding in his ears and King Edmund immediately ushered them into the bathroom. The tub was full of slightly steaming water and soap bubbles. King Edmund grinned and whispered, "Perfect." Tarrin helped him set the bucket against the edge of the tub and watched as the contents of the bucket slid into the water and disappeared almost immediately underneath the layer of bubbles. King Edmund led the way out, but froze when he reached for the door.

Tarrin's heart nearly stopped as he heard Dame Sepphora's voice coming closer and King Edmund whipped around and pointed to the bed. They quickly scrambled underneath the bed not even a full ten seconds before Dame Sepphora opened the door, "Peter, it's Seventhday. Go do something like pester your brother or cause your guards a conniption, just please leave me alone so I can have a nice bath and then get on with my own plans for today." Tarrin held his breath as he watched Dame Sepphora's bare feet pad across the room but she didn't immediately go into the bathroom. Instead, he could hear her opening and then shutting the doors to her wardrobe, and then just as his lungs began burning from holding his breath for so long, she finally padded into the bathroom and shut the door.

After waiting a few moments to make sure she didn't come back out immediately, they quietly scooted out from under the bed and tiptoed out of her bedroom. But, they hadn't even reached the main doors to her quarters before a piercing scream rang out behind them. King Edmund looked gleeful until the main doors slammed open and the General came in with the High King. Before the General could question them, however, Dame Sepphora shouted, "Edmund!"

Her bedroom door slammed open. She stalked out, wearing a robe and leaving behind wet footprints, and grabbed King Edmund by the ear. "You! You get that bloody thing out of there. Now!"

She dragged King Edmund by the ear back to her bathroom, completely ignoring his yelps, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" When King Edmund stopped saying "Ow," Tarrin guessed that Dame Sepphora had let go of his ear.

The General looked confused, "Thing?" Then, his gaze fixed on Tarrin and the General scowled as he folded his arms over his chest, "Peridanson, what thing did King Edmund put in Dame Sepphora's bath with your aid?"

Tarrin gulped and scuffed the carpet with his boot before he answered, "An eel, one of those really big ones."

King Edmund came back out, sleeves and front of his tunic completely soaked, clutching the large, wriggling eel until he reached where they had dropped the bucket when the General had burst through the door and deposited it back into the bucket. Dame Sepphora appeared in the bedroom door and glared at them as she quietly stated, "Don't you ever bring one of those things near me again. And, if you ever put an eel in my bath again, I will string the lot of you up by your ankles and leave you hanging from a very high tree branch. Now get out."

Tarrin didn't wait. He hurried for the door as the High King helped King Edmund carry the bucket back out. He could still hear the General ask, "Why did this prank actually bother you?"

"Because it was creepy, Oreius."

"Creepy?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to describe finding an eel slithering around in my bath?" Dame Sepphora sounded very annoyed as she hissed, "And, I _despise_ those nasty creatures so I definitely do not want one of them, a huge one of them to be precise, slithering around in my bath and touching me." As Tarrin and the Kings continued to beat a hasty retreat, he couldn't help the feeling that Dame Sepphora was going to devise something terrible to get revenge on King Edmund...and him too.

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8 Fairdawn 1006

Peridan was eager to get home. Even though he had been surprised and honored when the General assigned him to be amongst the small group of soldiers accompanying the High King as he went to settle a minor squabble between a family of Bears and a Hyena family in person, he still missed his family. But, he also hoped the assignment meant that his place amongst the soldiers of Narnia was being solidified. Finally, Cair Paravel's gleaming walls appeared, the royal banners flying...

Peridan frowned in confusion when he realized that more than the High King's personal banner was rolled up, so was the Gentle Queen's, the Valiant Queen's, and, as they watched, the Just King's personal banner was also rolled up. The feeling that something was amiss swept over him and he looked at the General and the High King. The General flicked his tail but never said a word, while the High King frowned slightly, "It looks as though we should use caution approaching the Cair."

The General gave a curt nod, "Indeed that is the best course to take until we know what is going on."

The gates of the Cair were standing wide open and none of the guards could be seen in their proper places, but they could hear the distinctive ringing of metal against metal. When they could finally see the courtyard, Peridan stifled a gasp of horror. Soldiers lay scattered everywhere, including Tarrin who was kneeling by the Just King. The Just King was struggling to get back up, and then _she_ came out of the training yard, sword in hand. Dame Sepphora called out, sounding more than a little piqued, "How many times do I have to kill you before you stay dead?"

Tarrin leapt to his feet, clutching his sword and attacked her head-on with a shout. Peridan's heart stopped as he watched Dame Sepphora parry with ease and then jerked Tarrin closer, running him through and letting him drop to the courtyard. His son. No! Peridan immediately dismounted and ran for them, taking care not to step on any of the fallen Narnians. But, Dame Sepphora took her blade and then drove it point first into King Edmund as he lay helpless on the ground, she knelt blocking his sight of the actual blow, but the Just King jerked and then went still. And then she _smiled_, "Look's like I won."

Fury nearly blinding him, Peridan unsheathed his sword and struck out at Dame Sepphora as she rose to her feet. She turned and met his strike, parrying it aside. Again he slashed at her, but this time she caught the edge of his blade with her own and pressed back, effectively locking their blades. She met his eyes and Peridan knew she saw his intent as her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Then, she hissed, "Edmund!" The Just King of course did not answer and Peridan wondered if a sliver of conscience had wiggled its way into her cold heart. Then, she hissed again, "Edmund! I can't get you to shut up and die for five hours and now you want to stay dead?"

She had lost her mind. That was the only answer. Peridan pulled back, allowing their blades to slide free of each other, and then he slashed low, aiming for the slight split in her chainmail just below her cuirass, which would allow him to land a blow to one of her dominant arteries. She blocked him and again forced his blade up and away from her body. Then, she kicked the Just King in the hip, "Edmund! Now!"

Peridan heard alarm in her voice and tried to press his advantage, but then another blade blocked his strike. He looked up to see the General, who stated, "Hold. This training exercise is over. Go back to your assigned duties."

At the same time, King Edmund sat up, "You said to shut up and stay dead, Kat. Besides they were just flesh wounds earlier."

Dame Sepphora sheathed her sword and then smacked the Just King on the back of the head, "It was a coup and your "flesh wounds" were fatal from the first time I declared you dead to the last. So just why were you continually trying to get up and cause me grief? Furthermore, I wanted you to shut up and die during the coup, not when someone thinks it's real." She shook her head and then stalked back toward the armory, muttering as King Edmund followed her.

Peridan watched in disbelief as Tarrin also stood up and joined King Edmund, who clapped him on the back, "Good show, Tarrin. You lasted much longer than Peter and I did the first time Kat started a coup."

He met the General's gaze and finally removed his blade, sheathing it as the High King called out, "Someone tell whoever Kat put in charge of the banners that the training exercise is over and all four of us are home."

The soldiers who had formerly been either victors or victims all hurried to assume their normal duties, leaving Peridan to stare at the General as they stood in the middle of the almost deserted courtyard. "Training exercise?"

The General gave a curt nod as the royal banners were unfurled, "It is Sixthday and I was not present, so Dame Sepphora apparently chose to start one of her coups."

Before Peridan could react to that incredulous piece of information, the General motioned for him to accompany him to his study. But, once the General had shut the door, he did not hold back. This time he wanted answers. "General, I respect you immensely, but why do you permit such insolence from Dame Sepphora? She is irreverent in her speech and manners toward you and every other superior officer, not to mention her disrespectful manner of interacting with the Four, particularly in regards to her refusal to address anyone by their appropriate titles. She has no concept of proper protocol not only in regards to her superiors but also in her actions toward ambassadors and other diplomatic parties. And, she is rumored to be a witch both in Narnia and in foreign courts. These rumors go so far as to call her the Strega of Narnia, my d-, one of my children actually witnessed her mixing a potion while muttering a spell. I had not been convinced entirely but if she is a witch, how is it the Four captured her loyalty? Should she not be suspect from that fact alone? And, yet, she is permitted to carry out _coups_ as a training exercise? Forgive me, General, but I do not understand in the least."

The General gave him a stern look, "Dame Sepphora is not like others in the army or in the court. She has earned my respect and she has earned the respect and love of the Four. Her manner is unconventional, yes, but what you see as irreverence and disrespect is quite the opposite. Those she regards as friends and trustworthy, she does not address by their titles save on rare occasions, such as when the situation absolutely requires her to address the Four by their titles or when she is angry with us. Calling us by our names, or any other appellations she has dubbed us with, is a sign of her respect and friendship. She does not follow conventional protocol but she has earned the right to chose not to do so, especially since there are very few who are her superior by rank aside from the Four and myself. Her treatment of the ambassadors is not always quite so undiplomatic as you have personally witnessed...and her behavior toward the Sisemaalian party was not nearly as outrageous as we had feared considering that she was also captured with the Just King by the Sisemaalian mercenaries under Heikki and Hendrik and received worse hurt. One does not _permit_ Dame Katerina Alambiel Sepphora to do anything that she sets her mind to, but there are guidelines that she usually follows. The coups? They are a useful training exercise for the possibilities of an attack from within the Cair's walls. But, she never means to overthrow the Four. She loves them as if they were her own family and she also is not ambitious enough to desire to rule a country."

The Centaur leaned forward slightly as his tone darkened, "I say this last only once, so heed my words closely. Dame Katerina Alambiel Sepphora is not a witch. She has never been a witch and her loyalty was not captured, but mutually earned. The rumors in the foreign courts are out of our control to stop, but they should not be heeded by any who live here in the Cair. Those who still mutter about spells and enchantments are stubborn fools who refuse to acknowledge the truth of things. She does speak other languages, particularly one she calls Irish, but she does not perform spells. I will not tolerate you or anyone else bearing the rumors. As I said when you first requested permission to serve in a military capacity, no one, be they Human, Animal, Magical Creature, or Plant, male or female, will be treated with scorn or malice without an accounting being required. However since your scorn for Dame Sepphora seems to arise from your unfamiliarity with her, I am ordering you to attempt to get to know her or at least try to understand why she does things in such a unique way. I require you to work together and Dame Sepphora has already agreed to give you the chance to earn her trust, if only because you have already earned mine." Peridan bowed his head and turned to leave but stopped when the General continued, "You should know, Peridan, that the only reason I was willing to give you a chance is because of Dame Sepphora's being such a trustworthy, if cheeky, addition."

He didn't know what to say, or even think, about that, so he merely bowed again and then left. Peridan rubbed a hand over his face. Perhaps he had misjudged the reason why Dame Sepphora was so...irreverent, but it would be difficult to look past that immediately. He also needed to sit Raisa and Marsalla down and instruct them not to refer to her as the Strega again. He did not think the General would tolerate another outburst like Peridan had just demonstrated. But, tomorrow, though, he would take his family away from the Cair for the day...and away from Dame Sepphora. Yes, that is when he would discuss things with them.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Only a few chapters left, so don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile about what I should write next. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one.  
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	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Nineteen**

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9 Fairdawn 1006

Marsalla raised her hand, shielding her eyes, as she called out, "Shane! Thane! Not so far!" She waited until her sons had turned and started chasing each other back to the blanket Peridan had spread on the ground before glancing at where Raisa and Tarrin were trying to coax Maisee into walking. Maisee, however, just giggled and returned to crawling as soon as her brother and sister let go of her hands. At not quite eleven months old, Marsalla had no worries about her youngest's disinterest in walking just yet. Actually, it was a bit of a relief considering the twins had been practically running, wobbling but running, at eleven months...and always in opposite directions. She smiled at Peridan as he set the basket on the blanket then shouted for their children to come eat. When he had suggested this picnic, she had been surprised, but the little meadow hidden in the woods was lovely and the children were certainly enjoying it. Setting out the food and lightly scolding her sons _and_ their father for trying to snatch things before it was ready, Marsalla felt better than she had in years.

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Oreius glanced down at Alambiel as they paused when they spotted Peridan and his family having a picnic. She looked a little wistful as she nodded toward them, "You know _that_ was the dream for just about every child in the orphanage, the father and mother with their children having a picnic and just being a family. I still wonder, at times, what it would have been like to know and have a complete family, a family complete with a mother." She shook her head before he could comment, "Ah well, wondering never changes the reality of the past. Come on, Kentauri, I thought we were going to spar. It's why we're wearing armor on Seventhday, right?" He chose not to comment on the wistful childhood wish she had revealed, instead he allowed her to lead the way to another meadow where they could spar.

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Peridan waited until everyone had eaten their full and Maisee and the twins had fallen asleep before he broached the subject. "Marsalla, Raisa, Tarrin, there is something we must discuss." He took Marsalla's hand in his and touched Raisa's shoulder, "I know the two of you in particular have been quite intimidated and even frightened by Dame Sepphora's unusual way of doing things and that you believe the rumors about her being a strega. But, this cannot continue. I spoke with the General yesterday about her and he was very emphatic that Dame Sepphora is not and have never been a witch. Those rumors are simply rumors. He also made it clear that I, and you as my family, must not contribute to the further circulation of these rumors. You must not refer to Dame Sepphora as the Strega anymore."

Marsalla and Raisa both paled at his words, though he was certain Marsalla had a different reason than their daughter since she actually understood completely what was at stake. He cleared his throat and squeezed Marsalla's hand in an attempt to comfort her before continuing, "And, we must get to know Dame Sepphora as she is, so that we may work together more comfortably and so as to lessen your fear of her. I have decided to invite her to join us for dinner next Seventhday after Queen Lucy's birthday. I also intend to invite the General since he does have a modicum of influence on her behavior. And, it should allow you all to feel more comfortable."

Tarrin and Raisa nodded immediately just as Maisee and the twins woke back up. Tarrin immediately got up to chase after Thane and Shane as they darted for the edge of the clearing, while Raisa tried to coax Maisee into walking again. As their children were distracted from the conversation, Marsalla had an almost painful grasp on his hand and whispered, "Are you certain that this will be a good idea?"

Peridan nodded and, raising their clasped hands, kissed Marsalla's whitened knuckles, "Yes, my Tesoro."

She took a breath and then nodded, "Very well, I shall make sure the children are on their best behavior and I will keep Raisa from reading those books with the information about witches. It's bad enough Bellissa kept telling her all about witches and how to spot them and what happened if a witch fixed her sight on you, just like she used to tell me and our middle sisters... Tarrin seems more...impressed by her than anything."

Peridan chose not to address the topic of his least-favorite sister-in-law, instead focusing on Marsalla's tentative observation, "Well, his friendship with the Kings and the fact that she is often involved in their training lessons has led him to be so...she _is_ the sole female knight of Narnia and she is in the same order as the High King."

Marsalla frowned at him, "She was also the one who started a coup yesterday. Did you know she sent a message to Queen Susan asking if she wished to participate? Of course, I didn't know the question involved a coup since all the Gentle Queen said was that she had too much to do to prepare for Queen Lucy's birthday and she would have to play the next time. But, from what Tarrin said at dinner last night, Queen Lucy joined in, on the side of the coup no less, for about two hours before her banner was also furled."

Peridan opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as Raisa's terrified scream filled the air. His head snapped around and he felt a frisson of shock when he saw Fell creatures closing in on his children. No!

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Oreius and Katerina froze at the same time as they heard the faint screams. Katerina glanced at Oreius, reading the same worry in his eyes that she felt...children were in danger. And, it was most likely Peridan and his family. They kept their blades unsheathed as they raced through the woods back toward the meadow where they had seen the picnic. Of course, they were not the only ones to hear the screams.

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Raisa screamed again, clutching at Maisee, as she tried to back away from the foul monster in front of her. The nasty creature was too horrible for words and Marsalla didn't even know what it was called. She scrambled to grab a large knife that she had used earlier to slice the pie they had brought with them. Tarrin was standing in front of his brothers, trying to keep them back as a Bear paced toward them. Marsalla watched Peridan race for them, but then she saw a Goblin sneak up behind Raisa and snatch Maisee out of her arms. "No!"

Marsalla ran forward, strangling the knife's handle in her fist. Maisee's terrified cries pierced her heart and urged her on. Attempting to escape Peridan's path, the Goblin inadvertently ran toward her. With a defiant cry, Marsalla lunged at the Fell Beast holding her baby. She snatched Maisee from its bony arms and then stabbed the creature repeatedly until it finally stopped moving. Panting from the exertion, Marsalla scanned the clearing again. Peridan was fighting off the Fell that had cornered Raisa, but Tarrin and the twins... They were still in danger.

Just then two Tigers burst out of the woods and leapt on the Bear, forcing him away from her sons. Immediately after though she realized she was being stalked too and other Fell were closing in on her sons and Peridan and Raisa. She whirled around and gasped in fear as she met the yellow gaze of a Werewolf. She thought of the knife, but it was still buried in the Goblin's body. Before she could even think of what to do, though a fierce battle cry filled the air as a body leapt on the Werewolf's back, tackling it away from her and Maisee. Dame Sepphora slit the Werewolf's throat as the General galloped past her, cutting down a Ghoul and another Werewolf on his way to her sons.

Marsalla stared at Dame Sepphora for a moment and then the other woman grabbed her free hand, pulling her along as they raced toward the middle of the clearing. She glanced down at Maisee and then heard a hiss and a growl right before something caught her ankle and pulled her down. Maisee let out another startled cry as Marsalla just barely got her other hand out in front of her in time to break her fall so she wouldn't land on her baby daughter. Dame Sepphora turned and immediately jumped over Marsalla, dropping a curved dagger in the grass by her hand before throwing herself at another Werewolf. Marsalla seized the dagger and slashed at the Fell Dryad who had her own knife poised to strike Maisee. The Fell Dryad recoiled and Marsalla leapt to her feet, standing protectively between her baby and their attacker. She took a step forward, ignoring the Fell Dryad's blade, and, gritting her teeth, lunged forward plunging the dagger into the Fell's heart.

Looking around, she saw the General dart between her sons and a Minoboar's axe, keeping the creature from harming them. She didn't have time to watch, though as she turned to see Peridan defending Raisa still with the aid of one of the Tigers from earlier. She heard a chuff behind her and whirled, reflexively raising the dagger again, only it wasn't an attacker. The other Tiger stood protectively behind Maisee while Captain Cletus and his wife, Amaryllis, hurried toward them.

A sudden quiet descended over the meadow where chaos had reigned only seconds beforehand, glancing over her shoulder she could see all the fighting had stopped. Dame Sepphora was standing next to her as she turned back to see Amaryllis had picked up Maisee who was sniffling but calmer since she apparently recognized the Birch Nymph. Dame Sepphora carefully took the dagger from her and whispered, "It's over now."

Marsalla only then realized her hands were shaking quite badly and she was gasping for breath. She heard the General thunder an order for a search to be conducted for any more Fell and Dame Sepphora silently slipped away. She turned back around, searching for the rest of her children, Peridan was carrying Raisa toward her and Tarrin was standing beside the General, but- She inhaled sharply as she realized with horror that she didn't see the twins anywhere. "Thane! Shane! Where are you?"

The Narnians all looked at her and then immediately turned to start searching among the woods when Dame Sepphora called out from where she was crouched in front of a patch of bushes, "They're here!" Marsalla watched as the woman turned back to the bush and held her arms out, "Come here, little Scátháin. It's all right now, I promise." To her surprise, Thane and Shane crawled out from under the bushes and darted into Dame Sepphora's open arms. Dame Sepphora held them close, whispering softly to them for several moments before they nodded. Then she stood and took them by the hands and led them back to where Marsalla was now standing with everyone left in the meadow. As they drew closer, Marsalla could see that both of her sons' eyes were squeezed shut, preventing them from seeing the bodies of the dead Fell. When they finally reached them, the adults closed in around the children to block the sight of the surrounding carnage. Marsalla met Dame Sepphora's gaze and mouthed 'Thank you' before she clasped her youngest sons close.

She winced though as a throbbing pain in her arm blossomed into her awareness, looking down, she was surprised to see the sleeve of her dress was torn and there was a bloody gash across her upper arm. Peridan immediately noticed, "We need to get you and the children out of here and you need a healer."

Dame Sepphora spoke up, "I have some bandages and such in my pack in another clearing. We can take them there and tend to everyone before going back to the Cair." Peridan nodded and the twins were again instructed to close their eyes before Captain Cletus picked up Thane and Dame Sepphora picked up Shane while Amaryllis continued carrying Maisee and Tarrin and Raisa both stuck close to Marsalla. Peridan, General Oreius, the five soldiers who had remained after coming to their rescue surrounded them as they walked through the woods until they finally reached the clearing. Marsalla watched as Dame Sepphora knelt in the grass next to where she was wearily sitting on a fallen log and gently tended her wounds while Peridan and the children hovered around them. Dame Sepphora finished wrapping a bandage around her upper arm and then rose, "That should do it."

Peridan instantly challenged her, "Are you certain?"

Dame Sepphora met his eyes for a long moment before she shrugged, "It will last until you and yours return to the Cair and then you can get a real healer to make sure."

Marsalla grabbed Peridan's hand and squeezed, cutting him off before he said something rash because of his worry. He nodded to Dame Sepphora then knelt in front of Marsalla. After awhile, Captain Cletus and Amaryllis approached them. It was time to head back to the safety of Cair Paravel. Marsalla walked with Peridan, behind their children and the soldiers both carrying them and surrounding their whole family. But then, she stopped short as she realized the General and Dame Sepphora had made no move to join them. Peridan also stopped, but waved for their children to continue on under the watchful eyes of Captain Cletus and the rest of the Narnian soldiers.

They returned to the meadow just in time to hear Dame Sepphora hiss at the General, "You let me take care of it now, or I shall announce very loudly and in a very public area that you have to see Alithia for your neglected wounds because you're a stubborn blockhead. And, you know I would do it in a heartbeat too."

The General sighed and lowered himself to the ground, "I know, Alambiel, I know."

Marsalla and Peridan quietly approached as Dame Sepphora unfastened his armor and then pulled his chainmail and tunic over his head. Marsalla, however, couldn't stifle her gasp as she noticed the cut to the General's left side. Dame Sepphora tsked, "That needs stitches."

The General frowned, "I doubt that, Alambiel. It wasn't a hard enough blow."

Dame Sepphora raised his chest armor and pointed to one side, "The Minoboar dented your armor and there's a matching cut through your chainmail. You need stitches and if you keep arguing, I will tell Alithia after I've stabbed you with a bunch of needles."

General Oreius snorted, "That sounds like torture."

Dame Sepphora was pulling out needle and thread as she answered, "Actually, it's called acupuncture."

Peridan cleared his throat, "Is there anything we might do to help?"

Dame Sepphora shook her head without looking away from the General's side as she prodded the area around his wound, "No, just stay out of the way and don't distract me. Oreius wouldn't appreciate it if you did." Marsalla exchanged a glance with Peridan but her husband merely sighed then led her to sit on the fallen log across from Dame Sepphora and General Oreius. They were silent as Dame Sepphora promptly lifted the General's left arm and put it on her shoulder as she began putting in the stitches. Watching her work, Marsalla knew she would indeed have to change the way she thought of Dame Sepphora. They at least needed some type of truce with her, especially considering the look the General was giving her as she wrapped bandages over his stitches and then argued with him over whether or not he was going to put his armor back on. Dame Sepphora let out an exasperated groan just then as the General pulled back on his tunic and chainmail then began buckling on the rest of his armor. Clearly, the Centaur General had won their little argument.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! Only one chapter left in ****_Don't Judge a Book_****. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one and Marsalla's courage.**


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.

Summary: Don't judge a book by its cover...or a knight by their rumors... A lesson Peridan and his family learned as they adjusted to their new life in Narnia.

A/N: This is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. I recommend reading the main story arc (_Awakening, Shadowed, and Revealed_) first, but you can give this one a whirl on its own too.

**Chapter Twenty**

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12 Fairdawn 1006

"I believe these two books will help you the most, Lord Peridan."

Peridan bowed his head slightly to the Cat, "My thanks, lady."

The Cat smiled, giving a slight purr in response before she turned quickly and kept one of her kittens from falling over the edge of the table and taking a pile of older scrolls with it. Peridan suppressed a chuckle and took the books. Raisa had wandered off somewhere among the many bookshelves. His daughter's enthusiasm for books was never ending. But, since it was nearly time for lunch, he had to find her. Holding the books in one hand, Peridan meandered through the library. He had just rounded one end of bookcases when he stopped at the sight of Dame Sepphora reading. She didn't seem to register his presence though as he walked behind the divan she was sitting on, apparently completely immersed in the book she was reading. The General wanted him to make the effort to get to know Dame Sepphora as she truly was, but Peridan didn't much feel that this was the appropriate time to make an effort. Instead, he quickly found Raisa, also buried in a book, but she paid enough attention to her surroundings to look up at his approach. "Raisa, it's time for lunch."

She nodded and reluctantly closed her book, "Yes, Father."

Peridan smiled slightly, "You may bring the book along, Raisa." She immediately brightened and Peridan simply shook his head in amusement. He suspected that his daughter's favorite part of coming to Narnia was the fact that she could use the library at any time and also take books back to their family quarters.

They had just rounded the one of the bookcases when Peridan pulled Raisa to a stop and held a finger in front of his lips before she could say anything. He saw her brown eyes widen as she spotted the reason he had stopped. Dame Sepphora was still reading, but the General was approaching her from behind. He looked...amused, definitely amused as he stopped directly behind her and she never looked up. The General smirked then grabbed her shoulder. Dame Sepphora jumped up from the divan with a surprised yelp and spun around to face the General, clutching the book to her. "Oreius!"

The General spread his hands innocently, "Alambiel?"

Dame Sepphora did not look amused, "You're not funny. And, will you stop doing that to me?"

Peridan watched, more than a little surprised at the scene playing out before them, as the General chuckled, "Not when you continue to react in such an amusing way." He nudged Raisa and carefully led her past them. But neither the General nor Dame Sepphora seemed to notice them as Dame Sepphora responded by sticking her tongue out, which only seemed to amuse the Centaur General further. He had to admit that watching them interact was always interesting, even though he wasn't sure what it meant...and he still hadn't forgotten what the General had said about Dame Sepphora being the only reason he had allowed him to petition to join the ranks of the army. He hadn't forgotten, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to be that indebted to such an unpredictable individual…it was an uncomfortable notion, but one he suspected he would simply have to accept to the best of his abilities.

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Katerina smiled as she recognized two small giggles. Rounding the corner, she quickly caught the vase was tilting precariously on the small table. "Be careful, little Scátháin. We wouldn't want to break another vase, now would we?"

The twins she now knew belonged to Peridan and his wife looked at each other then looked back at her. Thane immediately shook his head at the same time Shane nodded. She suppressed the urge to laugh as Thane noticed and poked his brother in the side before whispering furiously in his ear. Both boys looked at her and this time they both shook their heads. "No, Ala."

She glanced around, glad that Oreius had been called to a meeting with several officers including Peridan who had sent his daughter to inform Marsalla of his absence, since she would prefer for him not know that the shortened form of her name the Raccoon kits and Leopard cubs liked to use had also been adopted by the little Scátháin. She made sure the vase was safely in the middle of the table then crouched in front of the twin boys. "Little Scátháin, would you two like to help me play a prank on your brother and King Edmund?"

They didn't even consult in whispers before nodding eagerly. Then, another little voice asked, "Can I help, Ala? Please."

Katerina looked over her shoulder to see Shesheta giving her her best pleading look. She smiled, "Of course, you can, Shesheta. And, you can help these two keep from getting lost."

Shesheta grinned and hopped forward, "Yay!"

Thane and Shane each put a finger to their lips, "Shhh!"

Katerina suppressed another laugh and then beckoned the little ones closer, "All right, here is what you must do..."

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After leaving a meeting comprised of most of the army officers, Dame Sepphora being the notable exception as per usual, Peridan impulsively stopped in front of a display of shattered blades. Somehow, he had never noticed them before or perhaps he had always had a more pressing duty to attend than to pay much attention to the display. But, his duties for the day concluded, he now gave in to his curiosity. The three swordmasters of Cair Paravel, General Oreius, Captain Ardon, and Captain Cletus, also stopped as he observed the display. Captain Cletus answered Peridan's unspoken question, "The blades were shattered during battle and earned the honor of preservation."

Peridan nodded toward a pair of knives, with handles blackened and the remains of the blades, broken only a few fingers' width from the base of the hilt, were melted, "What of these here? I have never seen blades damaged in this manner."

The three warriors exchanged looks before Captain Ardon answered, "They are the example of what happens when someone stabs a sorcerer's staff. They also mark the first of two actions that earned Dame Sepphora her knighthood."

Peridan started to protest the tale, but he stopped his words before the first one left his lips. The General and Captains looked at him expectantly, so he chose his next words with care. "I see that only a few would be able to claim such a tale. And, the second action is marked as well?"

They nodded, and Captain Ardon again provided the explanation. "The white streaks at the front of her hair. The same sorcerer whose staff she stabbed gave those to her as she saved the High King's life."

He considered that for a moment as he tried to decide whether he wanted to hear the whole story just then or not. He was trying to understand why Dame Sepphora had so much leeway and why she was so flippant in her actions, even though he doubted he could ever completely understand her. But, he wasn't sure if there was time for the tale... Still, he needed to make the effort. "How-"

He abruptly cut himself off as two dismayed shouts rang out faintly from outside the room. He didn't wait for the other three as he raced out of the room, but he heard their hooves clattering against the marble floor almost immediately and they were on his heels as they all ran toward the shouts. Rounding the corner that opened into a long, wide hall, Peridan and the swordmasters skidded to a stop as they stared at the sight in front of them. Two people stood in the center of the hall. One growled and Peridan realized they were none other than Tarrin and King Edmund. The two boys were covered in a very bright, almost blinding, shade of pink dye or paint and topped with clumps of large purple flowers, which were resting on the boys' heads and shoulders and around their feet.

Small giggles to his right drew his attention to where Thane and Shane were standing next to Shesheta. But before he could question the three of them, a clear laugh rang out followed by a gently mocking voice, "You finally have some color in your cheeks, Edmund."

King Edmund let out a half-snarl, half-growl as he swiped the dripping pink dye off his face and turned to glare at where Dame Sepphora was leaning against the opposite wall. "Kat! What was that for?"

"What do you think?"

"The eel?" King Edmund gestured wildly behind him, flinging pink dye and two clumps of large purple flowers as he did so, and growled, "This is an overreaction! It's not as though we dumped honey and peacock feathers on you, like we did Oreius, and that was an accident since it was supposed to be Peter."

Peridan watched as King Edmund stiffened and Tarrin cringed while the Captains both gave the General just a little more room than they had been. The General closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Dame Sepphora, unlike everyone else present, did not seem the least bit phased by the General's presence. Actually, she looked rather delighted, "Honey and peacock feathers? And you're still alive? How did I miss that?" She stopped and looked directly at the General as she tapped a finger against her chin, "Oh, the possibilities. I am going to enjoy this so very much." Dame Sepphora looked at King Edmund, "You are so going to pay for that in training tomorrow, by the way." Then, she turned around and sauntered from the room.

The General followed Dame Sepphora at a slow, deliberate pace making Peridan wonder if he was attempting to intimidate his son and the Just King or Dame Sepphora. He doubted it worked if aimed toward Dame Sepphora since he knew she had a tendency to ignore the common sense of not provoking any Centaur, much less General Oreius. Looking back at the two boys, Peridan cleared his throat, "I believe you both should clean up." He paused and turned to look at the twins and Shesheta, "And, you three will come with me."

As they followed Tarrin and King Edmund out of the hall, Peridan heard Captain Cletus mutter to Captain Ardon, "I'll make sure someone cleans up this mess, you see if Sepphora is still alive."

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16 Fairdawn 1006

It had been four days since Alambiel found out about the honey and feathers incident, but for some reason she had done nothing other than to make him promise her that he would not increase the amount of training How and Peridanson were currently subject to in revenge for How's slip. Oreius had agreed, if only because the snickers following in the wake of King Edmund's pink footsteps seemed punishment enough, especially when he heard the rest of the royals teasing King Edmund mercilessly until Queen Lucy's birthday party yesterday. However, he was still suspicious that Katerina Alambiel was merely waiting for just the right opportunity to bring it up again. He could only hope that she didn't bring it up during when they joined Peridan and his family for dinner since he doubted Marsalla and Peridan would be very understanding of her antics.

"You're worrying too much again."

He frowned as he spotted Alambiel sitting on the edge of his desk and rifling through his papers. "What have I told you about going through my papers, Sepphora?"

She smirked as she held up a report, deliberately thumbed through it, and answered in a singsong voice, "It's Seventhday. You can't call me that." She grinned at him as she tapped the report against her leg then set it down on the wrong stack before continuing in a normal voice, "You know I don't really see why you get so...testy...about these papers, Kentauri. But, that's not the actual reason I wanted to see you."

He raised an eyebrow, "It's not?"

Alambiel shook her head, "Nope. I wanted to see you because I figured you would be worrying too much about tonight. I mean, what is there to worry about? We're hardly going to be...wait, I really don't want that to happen so I'm not going to bring it to Murphy's attention...and I don't want that to happen either... Hmm, well, it will probably be safer for all of us if I just say that there's always something to cause worry but it probably isn't worth the amount of worry you are currently giving it."

Oreius couldn't help smirking, which appeared to be the response Alambiel wanted as she hopped off his desk. "Do not be-"

"Late, I know. And, do be charming. Don't worry, I'll be so charming, they won't recognize me. See you tonight."

She left before he could say anything else. Oreius shook his head as he walked over to fix whatever chaos Alambiel had visited upon his papers. He knew she could be charming when she chose to, but he also hoped this dinner would be the first step to a true cooperation betwixt Peridan and Alambiel. He lifted a report and stopped. In the center of his desk was a small uncovered jar of honey with a single peacock feather stuck into it. Picking up the jar, Oreius had to admit that the little teasing gesture was not as bad as he had expected. Perhaps they could get through the dinner without Alambiel earning anyone else as an enemy…

Alambiel managed to be ready on time when he reached her quarters to escort her to the quarters of Peridan and his family since he didn't want to risk the chance of her getting lost or creating the excuse of getting lost. She gave him an amused look but didn't say anything as they walked. In fact, she remained extremely taciturn as they joined Peridan and his family. Oreius suspected she was preoccupied with reading their hosts' body language before she would allow herself to be more open...more vulnerable. On her part, Marsalla seemed slightly nervous at first and then she blushed crimson as they all realized she had forgotten to account for the fact he was a Centaur when arranging the table for the meal. She stammered out the first half of an apology before Oreius raised his hand, "It is well, Lady Marsalla."

Alambiel added, "And, easily remedied." She grabbed the unusable chair and moved it to an out of the way spot along the far wall. "He's used to eating while standing up when his hosts aren't other Centaurs anyway."

Oreius smiled slightly as Marsalla glanced at him for confirmation and nodded, "It does not trouble me, I assure you."

Marsalla gave a quick nod, then allowed Peridan to guide her to her seat before she addressed Alambiel, "Lady Katerina...that is your name, is it not?"

"It's one of them and I will answer to it...most of the time anyway."

Marsalla seemed faintly taken aback for a moment by Alambiel's candid manner or perhaps it was the amusement with which she had answered. "Oh. I see... Lady Katerina, I wanted to thank you and General Oreius for coming to the aid of my children last week. I fear to think of what might have happened if you had not rendered aid."

Alambiel looked down at her plate, poking at her food, before she met Marsalla's gaze and replied solemnly, "Do not thank us. We would do it again...and we would do it for any child endangered by the Fell." The conversation faltered between the two women after that and it was mainly left to Peridan and himself to fill the silence in the absence of Peridan and Marsalla's children. He chose not to speculate as to the reason behind the decision to restrict the dinner to only the adults, even though he had hoped seeing how Alambiel interacted with their children would ease Marsalla and Peridan's, specifically Marsalla's, unease.

Toward the end of the meal, Oreius could see Alambiel fidgeting with her food again before she sipped from her drink. She was going to say something. He merely hoped it would not be so inflammatory as to worsen the relationship between Peridan and Marsalla and herself. She glanced at him for a moment then looked directly at Peridan and Marsalla, "I know you don't like me and I know you do not trust me. For all I know, you believe those silly rumors that I'm a witch. Maybe saving your children's lives has presented you with a more favorable view of me and maybe not. But, we need a ceasefire, specifically between you, Peridan, and me. The Kentauri insists we work together and, quite frankly, you have not earned my trust. However, I have agreed to trust Oreius' judgment of you."

"And, you Dame Sepphora-"

"I don't answer to Sepphora on Seventhdays."

Peridan stated blandly, "I am not surprised. It fits with every other protocol you flaunt. And, you do flaunt them, which makes it difficult for _me_ to trust _you_. And, yes, we are familiar with the rumors concerning the Strega of Narnia. However, I, we are willing to learn more about who you really are and...why."

Oreius did not say a word as Alambiel and Peridan held each other's gazes in a way that was both challenging and measuring. It was between them and he expected them to handle it without need for further interference on his part. He did notice that Marsalla still seemed wary. He strongly suspected that it would be more difficult for her to let go of her fears, even with Alambiel's actions last Seventhday, since they had such different personalities and manners. Peridan looked away first as he grabbed Marsalla's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Alambiel smiled slightly and her accent thickened to the point that she lilted her next words, "Perhaps, Peridan, you and I shall settle that challenge during a sparring match sometime."

Peridan gave a curt nod, "Perhaps we shall, but not tonight."

The conversation shifted from there, but by the end of the night, Oreius was confident that Peridan and his family were learning that they should not judge knights by their rumors, especially if the knight in question was Katerina Alambiel. Alambiel seemed to share his sentiments as she had quietly whispered to him as they left, "Well, I don't think we're in danger of killing each other anymore."

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Marsalla blew out a tense breath, ignoring the manners expected of a lady for once, as the General and Lady Katerina left, "I cannot believe I arranged the table with four chairs. It isn't funny, Peridan! What if the General had taken insult?"

Peridan pulled her into a tight hug, "Oh my Tesoro, do not fret since he did not take insult. What did you think of Dame Sepphora?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder, "I fear we have little in common and I am still uncomfortable with the idea of allowing her near our children... However, she doesn't seem quite as bad the rumors make her out to be...at least, not to the point of being a witch. And..." Marsalla trailed off before she wrapped her arms tightly around Peridan and forced herself to continue, "And, I believe most of the rumors, the very worst ones, are either false or grossly exaggerated. We- We should allow her to interact with our children...when we, or someone we trust, are present."

Peridan kissed her forehead, "You are brave, oh queen of my heart. Do not fear, Marsalla. General Oreius does seem to have a modicum of control over her actions and I trust he will keep her in line."

Marsalla thought about telling Peridan what she had seen, but decided it was enough to accept his words as the comfort he meant them...even if he was wrong about the General controlling Lady Katerina. One day she would tell him, and it was always possible that would be preceded by Lady Katerina completely earning their trust and they hers...however long that it took for that feat to be accomplished.

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**A/N: Please Read and Review! So, ends ****_Don't Judge a Book..._****Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, and favorited this story. I hope to finish ****_Concealed_**** in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for new chapters. Also, I will be closing the poll on my profile in two weeks, so if you have not voted, please vote now. Your feedback is important. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this chapter and this story as a whole.**


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